Implementing Education For Sustainable Development

IMPLEMENTING EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
THE ROLE OF GEOGRAPHY IN SOUTH AFRICAN SECONDARY

SCHOOLS
By
Carolina Dube
Dissertation presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Curriculum Studies) at

the University of Stellenbosch
Promoter: Prof Chris Reddy

Co-promoter: Prof Peter Beets
Faculty of Education
Department of Curriculum Studies
December 2012
Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
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DECLARATION
By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein
is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise
stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any
third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any
qualification.
Date: December 2012
Copyright © 2012 Stellenbosch University
All rights reserved

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ABSTRACT
During the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (2004-2015), better teaching
and learning of environmental education and education for sustainable development (EE and ESD) in
schools is one of the main responses to the worsening state of the global environment. Environmental
concerns are integrated into the South African school curricula; in the General Education and Training
(Grades R-9) (GET) and Further Education and Training (FET) phases through the principles that
underpin the curricula such as social justice, a healthy environment, human rights and inclusivity.
While a cross-curricula approach to teaching and learning is followed in the GET phase,
environmental concerns are infused in each subject at FET level. Because geography deals with
human-environment relationships and is interdisciplinary, it is considered to be one of the main
vehicles for teaching EE and ESD.
To respond to the need for better teaching and learning of EE and ESD during the DESD, the main
aim of this research project was to find out how EE and ESD are being implemented through the
geography curriculum in South African secondary schools at FET level. The investigation sought
answers to questions related to: opportunities for teaching EE and ESD in the geography National
Curriculum Statement; the geography teachers’ perspectives on EE and ESD; the extent to which the
teachers incorporate the teaching of EE and ESD in the geography lessons; pedagogical approaches
used by the geography teachers; and, the barriers to teaching environmental concerns through the
geography curriculum.
A qualitative case study research design, underpinned by the interpretive research paradigm, was
used. A sample of 10 senior geography teachers comprising 8 males and 2 females participated in the
study. They were drawn from five Western Cape secondary schools selected through purposeful
sampling in such a way that the sample of schools is representative of the socio-economic and socio-
cultural context of the Western Cape as far as possible. Data were generated from biographic
questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Data were also generated from lesson observation and
the analysis of documents such as the geography NCS, work schedules and lesson plans. The use of
different research instruments ensured the triangulation of data sources in order to address issues of
validity and reliability. The qualitative data were then analysed through thematic analysis.
The study found that the sustainable development theme is central to the curriculum. Additionally,
strategies of implementing EE and ESD such as the enquiry approach, the issues-based approach and
the need to impart critical thinking skills are suggested in the curriculum. The teacher participants
experience conceptual barriers concerning the nature of EE and ESD and that of notion of integrated
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geography promoted by the curriculum document. As a result, some of the teacher participants have
difficulties in identifying EE and ESD themes in the curriculum document and incorporating them in
the lessons.
Furthermore, the teacher participants have difficulties in distinguishing learner activities from learner-
centred approaches underpinned by constructivist learning theories as observed by Janse van
Rensburg & Lotz-Sisitka (2000) and in using the enquiry learning approach. Some teacher
participants prefer using traditional teacher-centred approaches which enable them to finish syllabuses
in time for examinations. The use of learner-centred approaches such as fieldwork is hindered by
barriers such as shortage of resources, class time, large classes, deteriorating discipline, heavy
workload and policy contradiction. This study revealed a gap between policy rhetoric and practice in
the teacher participants’ efforts to implement EE and ESD through the geography NCS.
Keywords
Environmental education, education for sustainable development, sustainable development,

geography education, enquiry learning, issues-based approach, barriers to environmental education,
curriculum implementation, secondary schools in South Africa
OPSOMMING
Beter omgewingsopvoeding-onderrig en -leer van volhoubare ontwikkeling (OO/OVO) in skole is een

van die hoofresponse op die toenemende agteruitgang in die toestand van die wêreldomgewing in die
Dekade van Opvoeding vir Volhoubare Ontwikkeling (DOVO) (2004-2015). OO/OVO is geïntegreer
in die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolkurrikulum; in die Algemene Onderwys en Opleidingfase (Grade R tot 9)
(AOO) en die Verdere Onderwys en Opleidingsfase (VOO) deur die beginsels wat die leerplan onderlê
soos sosiale geregtigheid, ‘n gesonde omgewing, menseregte en inklusiwiteit. Alhoewel ‘n kruis-
kurrikulêre benadering tot onderrig en leer in die AOO-fase gevolg word, word OO/OVO by elke vak
op die VOO-vlak geïntegreer. Omdat geografie oor mens-omgewingverhoudings handel en
interdissiplinêr is, word die vak as een van die hoofvoertuie vir die onderwys van OO/OVO beskou.
Om op die behoefte vir beter onderrig en leer van OO/OVO tydens die DOVO te reageer, is die
hoofdoel van hierdie navorsingsprojek om vas te stel hoe OO/OVO deur die geografiekurrikulum in
Suid-Afrikaanse sekondêre skole op VOO-vlak geïmplimenteer word. Die ondersoek het antwoorde
gesoek op vrae wat verband hou met: geleenthede vir die onderrig van OO/OVO in die geografie
Nasionale Kurrikulumverklaring (NKV); die perspektiewe van geografie-onderwysers oor OO/OVO;
die mate waartoe onderwysers die onderrig van OO/OVO in geografie-lesse inkorporeer; die
pedagogiese benaderings wat geografie-onderwysers gebruik; en die hindernisse ten opsigte van die
onderrig van OO/OVO in die geografie-kurrikulum.
‘n Kwalitatiewe gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp, ondersteun deur die interpretatiewe

navorsingsparadigma, is ingespan. ‘n Steekproef van 10 senior geografie-onderwysers, bestaande uit
agt mans en twee vroue is by die studie betrek. Hulle is uit vyf Wes-Kaapse sekondêre skole
geselekteer deur middel van doelgerigte steekproefneming op so ‘n wyse dat die monster van skole so
ver moontlik die sosiaal-ekonomiese en sosiaal-kulturele kontekste van die Wes-Kaap weerspieël.
Inligting is verkry uit biografiese vraelyste en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, asook deur
waarneming van lesse en deur die ontleding van dokumente soos die NKV vir geografie, werkskedules
en lesplanne. Die van verskillende navorsingsinstrumente is gebruik ter ondersteunin van die
triangulasie van data ten einde geldigheids- en betroubaarheidskwessies aan te spreek. Die
kwalitatiewe data is daarna aan tematiese ontleding onderwerp.
Die studie bevind dat volhoubare ontwikkeling ‘n sentrale tema in die kurrikulum is. Daarbenewens
word strategieë om OO/OVO te implementeer, soos die ondersoekleerbenadering, die
kwessiegebaseerde benadering en die behoefte om kritiese denkvaardighede te ontwikkel, in die
kurrikulum voorgestel. Die onderwyserdeelnemers ervaar konseptuele hindernisse met betrekking tot
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die aard van OO/OVO en die nosie van geïntegreerde geografie wat die kurrikulumdokument
bevorder. Gevolglik vind sommige onderwyserdeelnemers dit moeilik om OO/OVO in die
leerplandokument te identifiseer en in hul lesse te inkorporeer.
Verder ondervind die onderwyserdeelnemers probleme om leerderaktiwiteite te onderskei van die

leerdergesentreerde benaderings wat onderlê word deur konstruktiwistiese leerteorieë soos deur Janse
van Rensburg & Lotz-Sisitka (2000) waargeneem en om die ondersoekleerbenadering te gebruik.
Sommige onderwyserdeelnemers verkies om tradisionele onderwysergesentreerde benaderings wat
hulle in staat stel om kurrikula betyds vir eksamens af te handel. Die gebruik van leerdergesentreerde
benaderings soos veldwerk word gestrem deur belemmeringe soos hulpbrontekorte, beperkte klastyd,
groot klassse, verswakkende dissipline, hoë werklading en teenstrydighede in die beleid. Die studie het
‘n gaping tussen beleidsretoriek en die praktyk in die onderwyserdeelnemers se pogings om OO/OVO
te implementeer wat in die geografie NKV ingewerk is, uitgewys.
Sleutelwoorde
Omgewingsopvoeding; opvoeding vir volhoubare ontwikkeling; volhoubare ontwikkeling; geografie-

opvoeding; ondersoekleer; kwessiesgebaseerde benadering; hindernisse in omgewingsopvoeding;
kurrikulumimplementering; sekondêre skole in Suid-Afrika.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to thank my promoter, Professor Chris Reddy for being there for me in the long, challenging
and at times frustrating research journey. I am grateful for not only his expert guidance but also his
moral support. I also appreciate the geographical perspective provided from time to time by the co-
promoter, Prof Peter Beets. I am very grateful to the University of Stellenbosch for partially
sponsoring my studies. Without this partial sponsorship, it would not have been possible to finish my
studies.
I wish to thank the principals of the five schools for accommodating my research project as well as
the ten geography teachers who found time in their busy schedules to participate in the research.
I would also like to thank the Geography Department of Stellenbosch University for availing
assistantship opportunities to me over the years. My acknowledgements would not be complete if I
did not mention the librarians of the JS Gericke Biblioteek of Stellenbosch University. I was always
amazed by the efficiency with which they procured academic materials from any library in South
Africa and even as far as Botswana!
I greatly appreciate the selflessness of former resident students of Lobelia hostel: Ntokozo Mdakane,
Tracy Bontle Thobejane and Sibusiso Radebe for finding the time to drive me to the research sites in
2010 and 2011. I say to you “ngiyabonga / kealeboga.” I would also like to extend my gratitude to
John Ruiters for being a caring hostel warden and for helping to ensure that our academic aspirations
were met.
Finally, I would like to extend my gratitude to my family: my daughters, Tabs and Pepsi, as well as
my grandchildren Josh, Jules, Jess and Iyapha for their love, moral and material support. I thank God,
the Almighty for blessing us in 2012 with “another bundle of joy” Iyapha Nkosazana, my youngest
granddaughter.
This work is dedicated to my late parents: my mother, Teresa “MaNcube Mazilankatha” and my
father, Petros Mdumbeni Dube who have inspired me to realise my academic potential.
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CONTENTS
DECLARATION ii
ABSTRACT iii
OPSOMMING v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS viii
APPENDICES xiv
FIGURES xv
TABLES AND BOXES xvi
ACRONYMS xvii
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background to the study 1
1.1.1 Environmental Education 2
1.1.2 Sustainable development 3
1.1.3 Education for Sustainable Development 4
1.1.4 The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 5
1.1.5 Is EE the same as ESD or are they different? 6
1.2 Conceptual context 8
1.2.1 Research on geography education 8
1.2.2 Perspectives on curriculum innovation and implementation 9
1.3 Description of the problem 12
1.4 Research design 13
1.5 Definition of terms 14
1.5.1 Implementation 14
1.5.2 Use of the terms Environmental Education and Education for
sustainable Development (EE/ESD) in the study 15
1.5.3 Secondary school 15
1.6 Dissertation outline 15
1.7 Summary 17
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CHAPTER 2 A FOCUS ON THE VEHICLE FOR ESD: GEOGRAPHY 19

2.1 Towards a definition of geography 19
2.2 Schools of geographical thought 24
2.2.1 Early views on human-environment relationships 25
2.2.2 Regionalism 26
2.2.3 Logical positivism in geography 27
2.2.4 Behavioural geography 28
2.2.5 Humanistic geography 29
2.2.6 Radical geography, Marxism and structuralism 30
2.2.7 Critical geography 33
2.2.8 Postmodernism 34
2.3 Geographers and environmentalism 35
2.4 A disintegrating discipline – need for unity 38
2.5 South African geography 38
2.5.1 Institutionalization of the discipline 38
2.5.2 Some routes of South African academic geography 41
2.5.2.1 South African perspectives in human geography 41
2.5.2.2 Integrated geography in South Africa 43
2.5.2.3 The role of environmental management field in South
African geography 44
2.6 Geographical education 45
2.6.1 Paradigms and the history of geographical education 45
2.6.2 School geography and environmental education 48
2.6.3 The place of geography in the curriculum 49
2.6.4 Pedagogical approaches used in school geography 52
2.6.5 Geography education in South Africa 55
2.6.5.1 Geography education in the colony 55
2.6.5.2 Apartheid and geography education 57
2.6.5.3 Apartheid and Black education 57
2.6.5.4 The position of geography in the secondary school curriculum 58
2.6.5.5 Changes in the geography syllabuses and examinations 59
2.6.5.6 Teaching practice 62
2.7 Curriculum change in post-apartheid South Africa 63

2.7.1 The national curriculum statement (NCS) 63
2.7.2 The position of geography in the new curriculum 64
2.7.2.1 The new Curriculum and school geography in the GET band 64
2.7.2.2 The new curriculum and school geography in the FET (general)
band 67
2.8 Summary 71
CHAPTER 3 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND EDUCATION FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 73
3.1 History of EE/ESD 73
3.1.1 The origins of EE 74
3.1.1.1 Defining environmental education 76
3.1.1.2 Approaches to environmental education 77
3.1.2 Milestones in the history of EE 79
3.2 The development of environmental education in South Africa 85
3.3 Implementing environmental education in the secondary school curriculum 87
3.3.1 Incorporation of EE in the secondary school curriculum 88
3.3.2 Approaches to the teaching and learning of EE and ESD 89
3.3.3 The implementation of environmental education in formal
education in South Africa 91
3.3.4 The implementation of EE and ESD in other contexts 95
3.3.4.1 Environmental education in Tanzania 95
3.3.4.2 Environmental education in England 96
3.3.4.3 Environmental education in Poland 97
3.3.5 Barriers to the effective implementation of EE in the school
curriculum 99
3.3.6 The incorporation of environmental concerns in geography education 101
3.3.7 School geography and environmental education in South Africa 106
3.4 Summary 108
CHAPTER 4 METHODOLOGY 110
4.1 The interpretive research paradigm 110
4.2 Qualitative research methodology 112
4.2.1 What is qualitative research? 112
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4.2.2 Features of qualitative research 114

4.2.3 The case study approach 115
4.2.3.1 Sampling in a case study design 116
4.2.3.2 Sampling of schools 117
4.2.3.3 The sample of geography teacher participants 118
4.2.4 Addressing research rigour: validity, reliability and objectivity 119
4.3 Addressing ethical issues 121
4.4 The data collection process 122
4.4.1 Interviews 122
4.4.2 Lesson observation 125
4.4.3 Document analysis 127
4.4.4 Questionnaires 129
4.4.5 My role as a research instrument 129
4.5 Analysing data through thematic analysis 130
4.6 Summary 132
CHAPTER 5 ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS IN THE GEOGRAPHY
CURRICULUM: TEACHING AND LEARNING OF KNOWLEDGE? 133
5.1 The data collection exercise 133
5.1.1 The school profile 134
5.1.1.1 School 1 134
5.1.1.2 School 2 136
5.1.1.3 School 4 137
5.1.1.4 School 4 139
5.1.1.5 School 5 141
5.1.2 Participant profile 143
5.1.2.1 Maggie 143
5.1.2.2 Ian 143
5.1.2.3 Johan 144
5.1.2.4 Hilton 144
5.1.2.5 Robert 145
5.1.2.6 Oliver 145
5.1.2.7 Godwin 146
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5.1.2.8 Vena 146

5.1.2.9 Lloyd 147
5.1.2.10 Thomas 147
5.2 Data analysis and presentation 147
5.3 Opportunities for implementing EE and ESD through the geography
curriculum 148
5.3.1 An enabling policy framework 148
5.3.2 The incorporation of EE and ESD in the geography lessons 155
5.3.3 Enabling pedagogical approaches 157
5.3.4 Awareness of local environmental problems and action taken 160
5.4 Challenges faced by teachers implementing EE/ESD through the
geography curriculum 162
5.4.1 Perspectives on the subject matter 162
5.4.1.1 Perspectives on the nature of geography and geography education 163
5.4.1.2 Perspectives on EE 164
5.4.1.3 Perspectives on SD and ESD 165
5.4.2 Challenges with pedagogical approaches 169
5.4.2.1 Use of teacher-centred pedagogical approaches 169
5.4.2.2 The enquiry approach 171
5.4.2.3 Teacher’s use of fieldwork activities 176
5.4.3 School organisation 177
5.4.4 Inadequate resources 179
5.4.5 Lack of awareness of EE and ESD strategies 181
5.4.5.1 Development of critical thinking skills 181
5.4.5.2 Perspectives on the issues-based approach 184
5.4.6 The role of curriculum advisers 186
5.5 Summary 191
CHAPTER 6 TEACHERS GRAPPLING WITH EE AND ESD IN THE
GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM: A DISCUSSION 192
6.1 The model of policy implementation 192
6.2 Teachers’ sense-making of the curriculum 193
6.3 Teachers grappling with the pedagogical aspects and strategies 203
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6.3.1 Opportunities for learner-centred approaches 207

6.3.2 Persistence of teacher-centred approaches 211
6.3.3 Issues with fieldwork 209
6.3.4 Taking action on local environmental issues 212
6.3.5 The issues-based approach 213
6.3.6 Inculcating critical thinking skills 214
6.4 Summary 215
CHAPTER 7 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS
AND REFLECTIONS 216
7.1 Summary 216
7.2 Conclusions and recommendations 222
7.2.1 Conclusions 223
7.2.1.1 What opportunities for teaching EE and ESD are there in the
geography NCS? 223
7.2.1.2 What are the geography teachers’ perspectives on EE and ESD? 223
7.2.1.3 How much EE and ESD is taught by the teachers in the geography
subject? 224
7.2.1.4 What methods of teaching dominate in geography instruction? 224
7.2.1.5 Are there any barriers to teaching EE and ESD in geography and if so,
how can they be overcome? 225
7.2.2 Recommendations 226
7.2.2.1 Implications on policy 226
7.2.2.2 Implications on future research 227
7.3 Reflections 228
7.3.1 Access to schools 228
7.3.2 Personal background 229
7.3.3 Methodological reflections 230
7.3.4 Limitations 232
7.3.5 My influence on the research process 232
7.4 Closing remarks 233
REFERENCES 236
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: ETHICS DOCUMENTS 268
A:1 Ethical clearance 268
A:2 WCED authorisation letters 269
A:3 Promoter’s letter 271
A:4 Consent form 272
APPENDIX B: RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS 275
B:1 Questionnaire for geography teachers 275
B:2 Interview guide 1 for teachers 279
B:3 Interview guide 2 for teachers 280
B:4 Interview guide for school principals 281
B:5 Sample transcript – interview responses from Hilton 282
B:6 Lesson observation notes 290
B:7 Illustration of data analysis (thematic analysis) 300
APPENDIX C: SAMPLE DOCUMENTS
C:1 Pace setter 309
C:2 Grade 12: work schedule 317
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FIGURES
2.1 Teaching-learning continuum 52

3.1 Components of the environment 74
4.1 Stages in qualitative data analysis 131
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TABLES AND BOXES
2.1 Some definitions of geography 20

2.2 Main schools of geographic environmentalism 26
2.3 Assessment Standards for FET geography 69
5.1 Geography class sizes at FET level in School 1, 2011 135
5.6 Learning outcomes and assessment standards for Grade 10 150
Box 2.1 The aims of geographical education 51
Box 3.1 The Tbilisi principles of environmental education 81
Box 3.2 The NGO Forum principles 83
Box 5.1 Main themes and sub-themes 148
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ACRONYMS
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

ANC African National Congress
ARIES Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability
ASMT Academic School Management Team
C2005 Curriculum 2005
CASS Continuous Assessment
CAT Computer Applications Technology
CHE Committee of Heads of Education
DEAT Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
DES Department of Education and Science
DESD Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
DET Department of Education and Training
DFEE Department for Education and Employment
DoE Department of Education
DVDs Digital Versatile Discs
EDET Environment and Development Education Training Group
EE Environmental Education
EEASA Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa
EECI Environmental Education Curriculum Initiative
EEFSD Environmental Education for Sustainable Development
EEPI Environmental Education Policy Initiative
EFS Education for Sustainability
ESD Education for Sustainable Development
ESMT Extended School Management Team
FET Further Education and Training
GEAR Growth, Employment and Redistribution
GET General Education and Training
GIS Geographic Information Systems
HDE Higher Diploma in Education
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HOD Head of Department
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IGU International Geographical Union
IGU-CGE International Geographical Union - Commission on Geographical
xviii
Education
INSET In-service Education and Training
IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature
JMB Joint Matriculation Board
LSTD Lower Secondary Teaching Diploma
MoEC Ministry of Education and Culture
NCS National Curriculum Statement
NECC National Education Co-ordination Committee
NEEP-GET National Environmental Education Programme for the General
Education and Training phase
NGO Non Governmental Organisation
OAS Organization of American States
OBE Outcomes-Based Education
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
PC Personal Computer
PGCE Postgraduate Certificate in Education
PSHE Personal, Social and Health Education
RNCS Revised National Curriculum Statement
RSA Republic of South Africa
SADC-REEP Southern African Development Community Regional
Environmental Education Programme
SAGS South African Geographical Society
SD Sustainable Development
SDEP Sustainable Development Education Panel
SMT School Management Team
UK United Kingdom
UN United Nations
UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
UNEP United Nations Environmental Programme
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
US United States of America
UVP Umgeni Valley Project
WCED World Commission on Environment and Development
WESSA Wildlife Society of South Africa
WSSD World Summit on Sustainable Development
WWF World Wide Fund for Nature
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Citing the GEO-3 report (South Africa 2006: 14), the Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism (DEAT) paints a gloomy picture of the global environment. Food security is being threatened
by land degradation. There is a high rate of biodiversity loss due to problems such as land conversion,
climate change, pollution, invasion by exotic species and overexploitation of vegetation. A severe
shortage of water is being experienced in some countries as a result of excessive water demand and
climate variability. Disease epidemics continue to be a problem in countries with poor sanitation, where
people consume untreated water. The quality of coastal and marine areas has sharply deteriorated as
result of global warming, population growth, increased industrialization, urbanization and tourism in
coastal areas. The use of fossil fuels has increased the concentration of carbon dioxide as well as
sulphur and nitrogen compounds which contribute to global warming and acid precipitation. Rapid
urbanization in less developed countries is characterized by increasing unemployment, poverty,
escalating crime, high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and other health problems that result from inadequate
waste collection. According the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(UNISDR) (2004) cited in Dube (2008), the vulnerability of the population to disasters appears to have
greatly increased globally in recent years.
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
During the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (2005-2014), different countries
are advised to redouble their efforts to achieve the required education targets. One of the targets is
improved education for sustainability1 (EFS) which can be accomplished through better teaching of
environmental education (EE) in schools so as to enhance the state of the environment. The geography
subject is one of the main vehicles through which environmental education can be taught (Ballantyne,
Oelofse & Winter 1999; Cowie 1997; Du Toit 1990; Fairhurst 1994; Hurry 1979, 1980; Marker 1984;
Sadie 1999; Symmonds 1996). Through geography education, learners are likely to gain knowledge,
skills, values, attitudes and behaviour that will enable them to protect the environment. This sentiment
is echoed by Bory-Adams (2006: 2) in the statement: “it is through the application of learnt knowledge,
skills, values and behaviours - all outcomes of quality education, that we can change the way we and
others live to ensure a sustainable present and future.”
The first part of this chapter deals with the background to the study and focuses on the origin and
definition of the terms environmental education (EE), sustainable development (SD), education for
sustainable development (ESD) and the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD).
1
The terms sustainability and sustainable development will be used interchangeably (see also Le Grange 2012b: 126).
The chapter will then focus on the debate on the extent to which environmental education and education
for sustainable development are similar. The last part deals with the conceptual context, the problem
statement, the research questions and the research design. The chapter ends with the definition of the
terms, an outline of the dissertation chapters and a summary of this chapter.
1.1.1 Environmental Education
Gough (1997) points out that the term environmental education was first described by Stapp and his
colleagues at the University of Michigan in the late 1960s. The definition of the term has changed over
time from conservation education which, according to Stapp et al (1969), focused on basic resources
and not, as is the current focus, on both the biophysical and the human environment. Stapp et al defined
environmental education as a new educational approach
that effectively educates man regarding his relationship to the total

environment…Environmental education is aimed at producing a citizenry that is
knowledgeable concerning the biophysical environment and its associated problems, aware
of how to help solve these problems and motivated to work towards their solution (Stapp et
al 1969: 30-31).
Stapp et al’s definition takes a narrow view of the environment, and more specifically focuses on the
biophysical environment, as the definition refers more to conservation education (Stevenson 1987). The
IUCN (1970) definition cited in Linke (1980: 26-27) regards environmental education as:
the process of recognizing values and clarifying concepts in order to develop skills and
attitudes necessary to understand and appreciate the inter-relatedness among man, his
culture and his bio-physical surroundings. Environmental education also entails practice in
decision-making and self-formulating of a code of behaviour about issues concerning
environmental quality.
The definition given above, unlike that of Stapp et al, acknowledges the interconnectedness of the four
dimensions of the environment: biophysical, social, economic and political. These definitions will be
explored further in Section 3.1.1.1. A number of authors have debated on the relationship between
environmental education and sustainable development (sustainability) (Sauvé 1996).
1.1.2 Sustainable development
According to Sauvé (1996), some authors view sustainable development as the ultimate goal of
environmental education and have coined the term environmental education for sustainable
development (EEFSD). At the Rio Earth Summit, the perspective that emerged in Agenda 21 was that
sustainable development is the main goal of environmental education (UNCED 1992, Chapter 36). For
others, sustainable development objectives should be added to those of environmental education. These
authors have therefore formulated the term environmental education and sustainable development (EE
& SD). Other authors argue that the use of environmental education and sustainable development is
tautological because the term environmental education inherently includes education for sustainable
development. This contestation is continued in Section 1.1.5. What is the origin of the term sustainable
development and how has it been defined in the literature?
According to Van Zon (2006), cited by Le Grange (2008), the term sustainability was first used in the
18th century in German forest management practices. One of the first people to use the term in England
was Barbara Ward2 in the early 1970s (Barrow 1995; Satterthwaite 2006). The term was widely
publicized in the World Conservation Strategy (IUCN, UNEP, WWF 1980). It was then popularized by
the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) who published a definition in the
Brundtland report (WCED 1987). According to Telfer & Sharpley (2008) this definition, “development
that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs”, is the best known and lasting definition of sustainable development (WCED 1987: 48).
The term sustainable development is widely accepted despite the fact that there is no agreement on its
meaning (Bonnett 2002; Cotton et al 2007; Jickling 1999; Le Grange 2012a; Le Grange 2012b;
Sauvé 1996; Steer & Wade-Gery 1993; Telfer & Sharpley 2008). Steer & Wade-Gery (1993) point out
that by the early 1990s over 70 definitions of the term had been formulated. The number of definitions
had more than quadrupled to 300 by the late 1990s (Jickling 1999). This means that the term has varied
meanings. Jickling (1994: 232), cited in Cotton et al (2007), noted that just after the Rio Earth Summit,
sustainable development “has become for many a vague slogan, a bold platitude, susceptible to
manipulation and deception.” According to Chapman (2004) the term is technocentric, the essence of
modernism, which is the root cause of environmental problems. He supports similar views from Fien &
2
Barbara Ward (1914-1981) was a British economist and writer (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1388551/Barbara-Ward-
Baroness-Jackson). According to Satterthwaite (2006), she is remembered as one of the great intellectuals and internationalists of the 20th
century who was one of the first champions of sustainable development discourse. The Rich Nations and the Poor Nations (1962), Only One
Earth (1972) written with René Dubos and The Home of Man (1976) are some of her most popular books. She played a role in building the
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
Trainer (1993) and Huckle (1991) that sustainable development is unashamedly linked with economic
growth, excessive extraction of resources from the environment and instrumentalism. Chapman (2004)
argues that conceptions of sustainability based on technocentric values cannot provide long-term
solutions to environmental problems. He concludes that the term “sustainability” is basically useful but
urges academics engaged in the sustainability discourse to clarify the term and not to further obscure its
meaning.
The conceptualization of sustainable development in the 1980s was accompanied by a parallel

exploration of the role of education to promote it (Hopkins & McKeown 2002).
1.1.3 Education for Sustainable Development
According to Hopkins & McKeown (2002: 18), Education for Sustainable Development “is a
combination of existing and yet to be identified guiding principles, knowledge, skills, perspectives, and
values that are organized around sustainability concepts and issues.” Reid (2002) provides another
definition of ESD compiled by the Sustainable Development Education Panel (SDEP 1999: 30) for
policy makers:
Education for sustainable development is about the learning needed to maintain and
improve our quality of life and the quality of life of generations to come. It is about
equipping individuals, communities, groups, businesses and government to live and act
sustainably; as well as giving them an understanding of the environmental, social and
economic issues involved. It is about preparing for the world in which we will live in the
next century, and making sure that we are not found wanting.
The first definition is exploratory and leaves the reader uncertain of what education for sustainable
development is. The second definition takes an anthropocentric view of sustainability because it focuses
on improving the quality of life. This could happen through increased economic growth which might
take place at the expense of the quality of the environment. This anthropocentric view illustrates the
criticism of the concept sustainable development discussed above in Section 1.1.2.
Hopkins & McKeown (2002), explain that ESD was not created by the educational institutions, but was
initiated by international political and economic forums such as the United Nations, OECD and OAS.
As a result, international educational bodies such as UNESCO, as well as certain educators saw this
external conceptual development of ESD as problematic. At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, organized
by UNCED, the role of education in promoting sustainable development was recognised. Chapter 36 of
Agenda 21, titled “Promoting education, public awareness and training” (Quarrie 1992), deals with the
need to promote sustainable development through education. In this chapter, governments are called
upon to re-orient education towards sustainable development. According to UNCED (1992: para 36.3)
cited in Gough (2006a):
Education is critical for promoting sustainable development and improving the capacity of
the people to address environment and development issues ... It is also critical for achieving
environmental and ethical awareness, values and attitudes, skills and behaviour consistent
with sustainable development and for effective public participation in decision-making.
Governments are also advised to integrate environmental and developmental issues into educational
activities throughout school and adult education, including vocational training programmes.
Furthermore, governments are called upon to ensure universal access to basic education and to reduce
adult illiteracy. The training of workers is also emphasized, the goal being the promotion of
environmentally literate3 workers who have the knowledge and skills to make decisions that protect the
environment in the work place (Quarrie 1992).
The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg 2002 endorsed education,
learning and capacity building as important agents in change towards a sustainable future. Furthermore,
the delegates recommended that the United Nations General Assembly should consider adopting a
DESD (ARIES 2005).
1.1.4 The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
In December 2002, the UN General Assembly declared the period between 2005 and 2014 as the
Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, so as to increase the pace at which education is re-
oriented towards sustainable development and to ensure that training and public awareness systems zero
in on sustainability issues (ARIES 2005). UNESCO was given the mandate to lead the DESD. ESD is
founded on respect for others (present and future generations) and for the planet, as well as for its
resources. According to UNESCO (2009), the DESD should drastically change the traditional education
practice and promote:
 interdisciplinary and holistic learning rather than subject-based learning;

 values-based learning;
 critical thinking rather than memorizing;
3
According to Roth (1992: 1) ‘environmental literacy is essentially the capacity to perceive and interpret the relative health of the
environmental systems and to take appropriate action to maintain, restore or improve the health of those systems. To be environmentally
literate, a sound knowledge of the threats to our environment is essential.’
 multi-method approaches: word, art, drama, debate, etc;

 participatory decision-making; and,
 locally relevant information, rather than national.
The Decade’s goals can be broken down into four key objectives:
 facilitating networking, and collaboration among stakeholders in ESD;

 fostering greater quality of teaching and learning of environmental topics;
 supporting countries in achieving their millennium development goals through ESD efforts; and
 providing countries with new opportunities and tools to reform education (derived from website
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-
URL_ID=23279&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html (UNESCO 2009).
McKeown & Hopkins (2003) note a difference in opinion on whether EE is becoming ESD or not, or
whether they are completely separate. The next section deals with this debate.
1.1.5 Is EE the same as ESD or are they different?
According to McKeown & Hopkins (2003), the principles of EE in the Belgrade and Tbilisi documents
focus more on the plight of the (biophysical) environment than that of the people. They also point out
that the core of EE currently in most programmes and curricula is concern for the (biophysical)
environment. When they examine Agenda 21 produced at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, they notice a
shift in focus to environment and development issues. According to McKeown & Hopkins, the contents
of Agenda 21 gave birth to the concept of Education for Sustainable Development as noted in Section
1.1.3. They also observe that the focus of EE is changing and beginning to embrace the environment in
its totality. ESD is concerned with three sectors: environment, society and economy. McKeown &
Hopkins (2003) try to allay the fears of some educationists by reassuring them that ESD will not replace
EE. As for which one is bigger, these authors regard it as depending on one’s perspective: EE or ESD
“is either one part of the picture or the entire picture.” Furthermore, they claim that it is important that
EE and ESD should remain separate so that they influence each other as they grow independently.
UNESCO (2004; 2006) and other authors (Fien 2001) support McKeown & Hopkins (2003) that EE
and ESD are not identical.
Citing UNESCO (2004: 7), Gough (2006a) states that the scope of environmental education has been
broadened in education for sustainable development to:
‘…encompass social justice and the fight against poverty as key principles of development
that is sustainable. The human and social aspects of sustainable development meant that
solidarity, equity, partnership and cooperation were as crucial as scientific approaches to
environmental protection.’
Furthermore, Gough (2006a: 2) argues that environmental education focuses on resolving

environmental problems, while education for sustainable development includes environmental
education which is contextualized within “socio-cultural factors and the socio-political issues of equity,
poverty, democracy and quality of life as well as a development perspective on social change and
evolving circumstances.” According to Fien (2001: 6) “education for sustainability is broader and,
perhaps, more challenging than the concept of environmental education.” Despite the differences dealt
with above, Gough (2006a) states that there are similarities between EE and ESD. First, they have the
same goal – to inculcate in learners values and attitudes that promote sensitivity to the environment, a
critical attitude towards unsustainable practices and motivation to change these practices. Second,
pedagogical practices used in both EE and ESD are similar in that critical thinking, issues-based
approaches, interdisciplinary and holistic learning, participation and locally relevant learning are
recommended. However, Robottom (2007) has a contrasting view.
Robottom (2007: 90) regards the introduction of ESD as replacing EE. He observes:
In particular we are currently in the throes of a situation in which the environment-related

work formerly known as ‘environmental education’ (EE) is being aggressively and
extensively ‘re-badged’ as ‘education for sustainable development’ (ESD). There are strong
attempts internationally to supplant the use of the term EE with the newer term ESD; most
of these attempts are associated with the international United Nations Decade of Education
for Sustainable Development.
Robottom (2007) questions whether changes in language from EE to ESD will be accompanied by
qualitative changes in environment-related educational practice. If meaningful reform is not realized,
then ESD may just become an empty slogan. Citing Popkewitz (1982: 20), he argues that the adoption
of the term ESD in place of EE could just become “changeless reform (the adoption of a new and high
impact name in the absence of any real change in practice).” Moreover, because ESD lies at the
intersection of the competing needs of economic development, society and environmental education,
Robottom (2007) thinks that economic interests are likely to dominate to the detriment of the
(biophysical) environment. The focus now turns to the conceptual context.
1.2 CONCEPTUAL CONTEXT
This research project is first contextualized within geographical education research in South Africa and
then within policy implementation research in general. A review of the literature reveals a number of
focus areas of the geography discipline in South Africa.
1.2.1 Research on geography education
The literature reveals four focus areas in geography education research in South Africa. First, a number
of authors have dealt with the role of geography as a vehicle for teaching environmental education
(Ballantyne, Oelofse & Winter 1999; Beukes 1992; Cowie 1997; Du Toit 1990; Fairhurst 1994; Hurry
1980; Marker 1984; Nduna 1995; Sadie 1999; Symmonds 1996). Second, some of the authors have
been concerned with changes in the nature of the geography discipline in South Africa (Ballantyne
1989; Fairhurst et al 2003; Ramutsindela 2002). Third, several authors (Ballantyne 1999; Beets & Le
Grange 2005; 2008; Le Grange & Beets 2005; Nel & Binns 1999; Van Harmelen 1999; Ramutsindela
2001; Van der Merwe 1998), focus on the impact of Curriculum 2005 on geography education, while
the fourth emphasis has been on the pedagogical aspects of the geography discipline (Adonis 1993;
Arjun 1991; Ballantyne 1986; Golightly 2005; Mayet 1988; Moodley 1997; Mphaphuli 1993; Ngcamu
2000; Ngquba 1992; Rambunda 1994; Rambuda & Fraser 2004; Webster 1979).
There is, however, hardly any literature on the role of geography as a vehicle for the implementation of
education for sustainable development in South Africa. A significant amount of literature from other
countries indicates that great strides have been made in orienting geography towards education for
sustainable development, for example in Britain and Australia (Corney 2006; Hicks 2002; Morgan
2000; Oulton et al 2004; Reid 2000; Smith 2005; Summers, Corney & Childs 2004; Tilbury 2008).
This research project has been motivated by the desire to promote the environmental education and
education for sustainable development discourse from the perspective of geography education at
secondary school level in the South African context. The research has been done against the
background of the DESD (2005-2014).
The broader context of this research project is that of curriculum innovation and implementation,
because it focuses on curriculum implementation taking place following the far reaching educational
changes in post-apartheid South Africa.
1.2.2 Perspectives on curriculum innovation and implementation
According to Carless (1998), research on processes of curriculum implementation aims to provide

answers to a number of questions. Curriculum developers need to know to what extent teachers put into
practice the intended goals of the innovations. Additionally, it is necessary to determine the ways in
which teachers adapt the innovation to fit their contexts. Lastly, it is important to learn about the
strategies used by the teachers to implement curriculum innovations and how the pupils respond to the
curriculum innovations. Armed with this information provided by curriculum implementation research,
the stakeholders in the education sector can focus on addressing the implementation problems in order
to provide better quality education.
It has been observed that curriculum reforms generally have a limited impact on the teachers’ classroom
practice and that there is often a pronounced gap between policy rhetoric and practice (Carless 1998;
Fullan & Pomfret 1977; Kirkgoz 2008a; 2008b; Orafi & Borg 2009; Panday & Moorad 2003; Sikoyo
2007). Researchers have identified a number of factors that influence the implementation and up-take of
curriculum innovations. After an extensive review of literature on implementation research, Fullan &
Pomfret (1977) identified four categories of factors influencing the implementation of curriculum
innovations. These include the following:
 characteristics of the innovation;

 strategies and tactics;
 characteristics of the adopting unit; and,
 characteristics of macro socio-political units.
The two main characteristics of an innovation that influence its implementation are its clarity and its
degree of difficulty. An ambiguous and complicated curriculum innovation is not likely to be
implemented as successfully as one that is clear and easy to understand. The strategies and tactics are
the methods that can be used for the effective implementation of an innovation. According to Fullan &
Pomfret (1977), the implementation of a curriculum innovation is likely to be more successful if there is
in-service training, support with materials, interaction that provides feedback to the facilitators and
participation in decision-making.
In the education sector, adopting units refer to teachers and the school context, while the fourth
category, macro socio-political factors, refers to the “role of political agencies outside the adopting
organization” (Fullan & Pomfret 1977: 386). In the South African context, the macro socio-political
factors include local school governing bodies, community agencies and local government, the
10
provincial departments and the national Department of Basic Education. Another classification of the
factors is provided by Fullan (2001).
According to Fullan (2001) cited in Roehrig, Kruse & Kern (2007: 885), implementation outcomes are
influenced by three categories of factors: “characteristics of the change itself (the need and relevance of
the change, clarity and complexity of the change, and the quality and practicality of the program), local
factors (characteristics of teachers, principals, and district administrators), and external factors (parents
and community, technology, business, and corporate connections, government policy, and the wider
teaching profession).” The factors can act as enablers to the implementation processes resulting in a
significant up-take of the curriculum innovation. Alternatively, the factors dealt with above can act as
barriers to the implementation of curriculum innovations, resulting in limited impact on classroom
practice, as observed earlier. Fullan & Pomfret (1977) argue that centrally designed policies are often
inadequately implemented because they do not address some of the crucial factors stated above, such as
those related to teacher attributes.
Teachers play an important role in the implementation of curriculum innovations because they can act
as change agents (Fullan 1993). According to Carless (1998), teachers’ attitudes, training,
understanding of an innovation and extent of support, play an important role in the success of an
innovation. The importance of the teacher’s role in the implementation of curriculum innovations has
been illustrated through empirical research, for example Carless (1998), Kirkgoz (2008a; 2008b), Orafi
& Borg (2009) in English language teaching and Roehrig, Kruse & Kern (2007) in Science education.
These studies illustrate the crucial role that teachers play in the successful implementation of
curriculum innovations. Kirkgoz (2008b) advises that teachers should be provided with appropriate
training and support so as to enhance their capacity as well as to modify their beliefs and classroom
practices.
Spillane, Reiser & Reimer (2002) have proposed the cognitive model of policy implementation, which
involves the agents’ sense-making regarding new policy. This model attributes policy failure to the
agents’ lack of understanding of the policy rather than the perceived lack of cooperation, acts of
sabotage or resistance to change. I elaborate on Spillane, Reiser & Reimer’s (2002) model of policy
implementation in Chapter 6 where I use it to discuss the results.
According to Sikoyo (2007), education systems in some African countries have recently undergone
change as a result of the impact of globalisation forces. These changes have involved the introduction of
new curricula, for example in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Uganda and Nigeria. Sikoyo (2007:
30) observes that these changes have mainly involved a shift towards more progressive learner-centred
pedagogical approaches in an effort to discourage “teacher-centred didactic practices, associated with
11
teacher dominance and passive learners, rote learning and the stifling of critical and creative thinking.”
In the following paragraphs I focus on education changes in South Africa, the context of my research.
At the inception of democracy rule in South Africa, there were fundamental changes in the education
policy meant to redress the apartheid legacy of unequal access to resources, endemic poverty among
some sections of the population and shortage of skills (Botha 2002; Cross, Mungadi & Rouhani 2002;
Du Plessis 2005; Mosidi 1998; Reddy 2011; Steyn & Wilkinson 1998). At the centre of the education
policy changes was the introduction of a new curriculum (Curriculum 2005), underpinned by outcomes-
based education (OBE). The intention of the developers of the new curriculum was to encourage a
pedagogical shift from content-based education delivered through teacher-centred, transmissive
approaches to OBE to be taught through learner-centred approaches. Curriculum 2005 (C2005) was
implemented using an integrated approach because the subjects were collapsed into eight Learning
Areas at the General Education and Training (GET) band (Carl 1998; Mosidi 1998; South Africa 1995).
The learners work towards the achievement of “curriculum-linked outcomes” called learning outcomes
in the teaching and learning programmes (Le Grange & Beets 2005). All learning from school level to
higher education is geared towards the achievement of critical outcomes. Critical outcomes are “generic
and cross-curricular, and aim to develop in learners the knowledge and skills required to function
meaningfully in a democratic country” (Le Grange & Beets 2005: 268).
According to Cross, Mungadi & Rouhani (2002), the new OBE curriculum resulted in policy tensions
which precipitated widespread criticism (for details see Chisholm et al 2000; Christie 1999; Fakier &
Waghid 2004; Jansen 1998; 1999a; 1999b; Jansen & Christie 1999; Kruss 1998; Meerkotter 1998;
Morrow 1999; Le Grange & Reddy 1997; Waghid 2001; 2003). The criticism focused on: “(i) its
origins and conceptual basis; (ii) its policy nature; (iii) its knowledge and pedagogical features; (iv)
process issues such as the management of its formulation, adoption and implementation; (v) design
issues; and, (vi) its position in the context of schooling” (Cross, Mungadi & Rouhani 2002: 180). The
curriculum review committee (Chisholm et al 2000) identified a number of implementation problems
and recommended a more streamlined curriculum as well as improved strategies of implementation.
The Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) was launched in 2002. According to Le Grange &
Beets (2005), the findings of the curriculum review committee were supported through empirical
research by other academics, for example Jansen (1999b) and Le Grange & Reddy (2000).
Despite the shortcomings and implementation problems of C2005, its advent after 1994 provided an
opportunity and space for infusing environmental concerns. EE could be implemented holistically
because of the integrated approach to education (Mosidi 1998; South Africa 1995) especially at primary
and lower secondary school level – the GET band. Thus, the incorporation of environmental concerns
into the Learning Areas and subjects in formal education in the South African context was one of the
12
most important innovations in the new curriculum. The processes that led to the incorporation of
environmental concerns into formal schooling in South Africa will be elaborated on in Chapter 3. This
research project is positioned in the implementation research field. It explores how EE and ESD as a
curriculum innovation are being implemented through the geography curriculum at Further Education
and Training (FET) level in South African secondary schools. The foregoing discussion on the factors
influencing the implementation of curriculum innovations, especially the central role of teachers, is
pertinent to this research. The research findings will explain how some of the factors, especially teacher
attributes and contextual factors, have influenced the implementation of EE and ESD through the
1.3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM
It is now over five years since the DESD was declared by the United Nations (ARIES 2005; UNESCO
2004; 2006). It is necessary to find out whether South African education has been re-oriented towards
sustainable development. This research will fulfil this need by establishing whether environmental
concerns have been infused into the FET (Gr 10-12) geography National Curriculum Statement (NCS).
The research will further determine whether the geography teachers actually teach environmental
education and education for sustainability as stipulated in the NCS. The aim and objectives of the
research are provided below. Ballantyne, Oelofse & Winter (1999) established that South African
geography educators strongly support the teaching of environmental education through school
geography and that they are more amenable to the idea of formal linkages between environmental
education and geography education than their international counterparts.
In order to investigate the above problem, the main research question is posed:
How are EE and ESD being implemented through the secondary school geography curriculum?
This question is broken down into the following sub-questions to provide guidelines for the data
collection phase of the research process:
1. What opportunities for teaching EE and ESD are there in the geography NCS?
2. What are the geography teachers’ perspectives on EE and ESD?
3. How much EE and ESD are taught by the teachers in the geography subject?
4. What methods of teaching dominate in geography instruction?
5. Are there any barriers to teaching EE and ESD in geography and if so, how can they be overcome?
13
The following section provides an outline of how the research was designed in order to address the
above research questions. It includes a brief description of the main elements of the research design.
1.4 RESEARCH DESIGN
Durrheim (2006: 36) defines a research design as a “strategic framework, a plan that guides research
activity to ensure that sound conclusions are reached.” The aim of a research design, according to
Mouton & Marais (1990) cited by Durrheim (2006), is to “plan and structure a given research project in
such a way that the eventual validity of the research findings is maximised.” Dealing with validity
issues in the design ensures that credible findings are obtained. Durrheim (2006: 37) suggests four
components that a researcher should consider in formulating a research design:
1. The purpose of the research;

2. The theoretical paradigm that underpins the research;
3. The research context; and,
4. The data collection and analysis techniques.
The four components of the research design are described in the following paragraphs.
As illustrated by the main research question (see Section 1.3), the aim is to find out how geography
teachers in some South African secondary schools are implementing EE and ESD through the
geography curriculum at FET (Gr 10-12) level. Therefore, this research is informed by the interpretive
paradigm, which is elaborated upon in Section 4.1. Furthermore, the qualitative research approach is
employed and a multiple case study design is followed, which highlights the influence of context on the
findings.
The research was carried out in five secondary schools selected through purposeful sampling in the
Western Cape province of South Africa. The following criteria were considered in selecting the sample
of schools: first, the selected schools are all public high schools with FET and independent schools were
excluded. Second, the sample schools are representative of the socio-cultural and socio-economic
context of the Western Cape, and thirdly, the schools have geography in the school curriculum.
Two geography teachers from each of the five secondary schools participated in the research, making a
sample total of 10 participants. A number of research instruments were used to collect data in the field.
Data were generated from questionnaires given to the teacher participants and semi-structured
interviews conducted with them. Data were also generated from lesson observation and the analysis of
documents such as the geography National Curriculum Statement, work schedules and lesson plans.
14
The use of different research instruments ensured the triangulation of data sources in order to address
issues of validity and reliability.
Field notes were written on lessons that were observed. The interviews were recorded and then
transcribed verbatim. The qualitative data were then analysed through thematic analysis (Attride-
Stirling 2001; Boyatzis 1998; Braun & Clarke 2006), which involved the initial coding process using
‘in vivo’ codes. The coding stage was followed by the classification of the codes into categories which
were then classified into major themes. Tables of codes, categories and themes were compiled on Excel
spreadsheets. The research findings were then presented as a thick description of the main themes
including their sub-themes. The themes were illustrated with prolific quotations of the participants’
views extracted from the interview transcripts and other documents. Literature review was conducted
throughout the study in order to provide both the conceptual framework for the study and to support the
research findings.
1.5 DEFINITION OF TERMS
1.5.1 Implementation
According to Fullan & Pomfret (1977: 336), implementation refers to “the actual use of an innovation
or what an innovation consists of in practice.” This research endeavours to determine how policy is
being translated into practice with respect to environmental education and education for sustainable
development. In the South African context, the curriculum innovation involved the infusion of
environmental concerns in the school curricula at the GET and FET bands as part of the educational
changes in the post-apartheid era (see also Section 1.2.2). I elaborate on environmental education in
formal education in South Africa in chapter 3.
This research is based on the implementation of the geography National Curriculum Statement (NCS)
for FET (General) (Department of Education 2003) which was phased into the schools in 2006. The
geography NCS has since been replaced with a new curriculum document, the geography Curriculum
and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) (Department of Basic Education 2011). The new geography
curriculum (CAPS) has been implemented in schools with effect from 2012, starting with Grade 10 at
FET level.
15
1.5.2 Use of the terms Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development (EE
and ESD) in the study
The foregoing discussions in Sections 1.1.2 and 1.1.5 have shown that the concepts of sustainable
development and education for sustainable development are highly contested. Additionally, there is no
consensus among academics on the extent to which environmental education and education for
sustainable development are similar. I have, therefore, decided to use EE and ESD as separate terms in
the study. This, in my opinion, is a prudent approach in a field that is replete with diverse opinions and
where it is not likely that there will be a consensus soon. It is, however, important for educationists not
to lose sight of the similarities between EE and ESD. First, EE and ESD have the same goal – that of
transformation towards more sustainable lifestyles (Gough 2006a; Kimaryo 2011). Secondly, they are
both implemented through learner-centred, participatory pedagogical approaches that aim to inculcate
critical thinking skills (Gough 2006a; UNESCO 2009) (see also Section 1.1.5).
1.5.3 Secondary school
Secondary school education in South Africa extends from Grade 8 to 12 (Province of the Western Cape
1997). According to the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (Carl 1998), secondary school
education includes two grades in the GET band (Grades 8-9) and three grades at FET level (Gr 10-12).
This research project focuses on the implementation of EE and ESD through the geography curriculum
in the FET band of the secondary school where geography is offered as a separate subject. At the lower
level of the secondary school, Grades 8-9 (GET), geographical knowledge has been split and integrated
into different learning areas. Human geography was incorporated into the Social Sciences learning area,
whereas the physical geography component was integrated into the Natural Sciences learning area
(Mosidi 1998).
1.6 DISSERTATION OUTLINE
Chapter 1 covers the introduction. It begins by highlighting the concerns with the ever-increasing
environmental problems which need to be addressed through more effective teaching of issues affecting
the environment. This is followed by a description of the background to the study in which the concepts
environmental education, sustainable development and education for sustainable development are
clarified. An outline of the context of this study follows, after which the problem statement, research
questions and research design are described. The chapter ends with the definition of some key terms,
the dissertation outline and a summary.
16
Chapter 2 reviews literature on geography, the vehicle for implementing EE and ESD. The first part of
the chapter covers the definition and discussion on the core of geography, as well as major schools of
thought in the discipline such as regionalism, logical positivism, behavioural geography, humanistic
geography, Marxism, critical geography, post-modernism and environmentalism. This is followed by a
discussion of the roots and routes of South African academic geography. Developments in school
geography in both Britain and South Africa are then discussed with a particular focus on the impact of
changing paradigms in academic geography, pedagogical approaches and the increasing need to tackle
environmental issues in the teaching and learning of the subject. The chapter ends with an overview of
the opportunities for implementing EE and ESD through the geography NCS in the post-apartheid era.
In chapter 3 literature on the environmental education and education for sustainable development field
is reviewed. It begins with comments on the definition of environment and the origin and history of
environmental education including the major milestones, followed by an outline of the development of
EE in South Africa. Additionally, the chapter covers the implementation of EE in formal education in
different contexts including South Africa. The chapter also highlights appropriate pedagogical
approaches together with barriers that hinder the achievement of the goals of teaching EE and ESD. The
chapter ends with an exploration of perspectives on the relationship between school geography and
environmental education.
The methodology is outlined in chapter 4. The chapter begins with an outline of the interpretive
paradigm that underpins the research. An explanation of the difference between interpretivist ontology
and epistemology and other paradigms follows, after which a justification of the methodology for the
study is provided. The chapter also illustrates the links between the interpretive paradigm, qualitative
research and the case study approach employed in the research. A description of the sampling technique
employed for selecting the schools is included, as well as the research instruments used in the study:
semi-structured interviews, lesson observation, questionnaire and document analysis. The chapter ends
with a brief explanation of the data analysis technique.
Chapter 5 provides a description of the results of the study. The first part of the chapter gives an outline
of the profiles of the five sample schools and the 10 participant teachers. The results are organised into
two major themes: opportunities, and challenges of implementing EE and ESD through the geography
curriculum. Opportunities include an enabling policy framework, teachers’ perspectives on the
incorporation of environmental in the lessons and enabling pedagogical approaches. The challenges
include the teachers’ perspectives on EE, SD and ESD. This section also covers challenges with
pedagogical approaches, school organization, inadequate resources, lack of awareness of EE and ESD
strategies such as the need to inculcate critical thinking skills and the issues-based approach. The
chapter ends with an outline of the role of curriculum advisers.
17
Chapter 6 deals with the interpretation and discussion of the data provided by the teacher participants
using other authors as well as Spillane, Reiser & Reimer’s (2002) cognitive model of the policy
implementation process as a framework for discussing the findings. The chapter focuses on how the
teacher participants make sense of EE and ESD and the recommended pedagogical approaches and
strategies to implement the curriculum including the barriers that hinder them from using the strategies
that are prescribed in the curriculum document. In Chapter 7, I conclude the report with the summary of
the research project, conclusions and recommendations and end the chapter with some reflections on the
research process.
1.7 SUMMARY
During the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, better teaching and learning of EE and
ESD in schools can help to address the worsening state of the environment. EE and ESD can be taught
through the geography subject in order to impart knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required for
more sustainable lifestyles.
From conservation education based on a narrow conception of the environment as consisting only of the
biophysical component, EE is currently conceived of as being based on a broader view of the
environment that consists of interconnected components of the biophysical and the human environment.
Sustainable development began to be incorporated into the environmental education discourse in the
1980s. Education for sustainable development takes root after the Rio Earth Summit through its
promotion in Agenda 21, Chapter 36 and the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. There
are multiple discourses on the links between environmental education, sustainable development and
education for sustainable development. Furthermore, there are concerns that sustainable development
conceived of as the promotion of economic development at the expense of the environment could
increase the risks of environmental damage.
This study falls within both geography education research and curriculum implementation research. It
aims to find out how EE and ESD are being implemented through the geography curriculum by
answering questions on: opportunities for teaching EE and ESD through the geography curriculum;
teachers’ perspectives on EE and ESD; the extent to which EE and ESD are taught by the geography
teachers in the lessons; pedagogical approaches used by the teachers; and, the barriers to the effective
implementation of EE and ESD through the geography curriculum.
The research follows a qualitative and case study design underpinned by the interpretive research
paradigm. A number of data collection instruments were used: semi-structured interviews,
questionnaires, lesson observation and document analysis. The thematic analysis technique was used to
18
analyse the qualitative data. The next chapter examines the role of geography as a vehicle for
implementing EE and ESD.
19
CHAPTER 2: A FOCUS ON THE VEHICLE FOR ESD: GEOGRAPHY
In the previous chapter, I introduced the report by emphasising the need to address the worsening
condition of the global environment through better teaching and learning of EE and ESD during the
DESD. I also pointed out that geography can play a leading role as a vehicle for implementing EE and
ESD in South African secondary schools. Chapter 1 also deals with the problem statement, the research
questions and research design. This research focuses on how EE and ESD are being implemented
through the geography curriculum at FET level. This chapter reviews literature on the nature of the
geography discipline and more particularly, school geography. The chapter also traces the contribution
of geography in addressing environmental issues at both academic and school level.
2.1 TOWARDS A DEFINITION OF GEOGRAPHY
“Sociologists have society, biology living things, economists the economy and physicists matter and energy. But
what is at the very core of geography? What are its key concepts?” (Holloway, Rice & Valentine 2003: xiv).
The definition of geography has evolved with changes in the discipline’s epistemology and scope
(Meadows 2007). A number of definitions which were formulated at different stages in the history of
geography are given in Table 2.1. Barnard (2001: 7) makes a number of observations in terms of these
definitions. First, the focus of the definitions changes from the concrete to the abstract – from
preoccupation with describing animate and inanimate objects on the earth’s surface to the formulation
of concepts and theoretical constructs. Second, the definitions imply that geographers use different
methodologies to research and study aspects of the discipline, as will be illustrated later in the
discussion. Third, the definitions show that geographers do not agree on how the discipline should be
defined.
Von Richthofen’s (1883) and Hartshorne’s (1959) definitions (see Table 2.1) focus on the description
and explanation of the occurrence of concrete phenomena on the earth’s surface as noted by Barnard
(2001) and Holt-Jensen (2009). Von Richthofen’s definition smacks of environmental determinism4
(see also Section 2.2.1) because it seems to emphasize causal relationships between the physical and the
human environment (Biddle 1985). Hartshorne’s (1959) view of geography is that of an idiographic
science concerned with describing unique features of the earth’s surface. Yeates’s (1968) definition
embraces the logical positivist paradigm or quantitative revolution which had just taken place in the
discipline during this period.
4
“The view that the natural environment plays the major role in determining the behaviour patterns of humans on the earth’s surface” (Haggett
2001: 783).
20
Table 2.1 Some definitions of geography
Von Richthofen (1883) “Geography … (is) ‘the science of the earth’s surface and its causally related
characteristics and phenomena” (Fisher, Campbell & Miller 1969: 91).
Hartshorne (1959: 21) “Geography … (provides an) accurate, orderly and rational description and interpretation of
the variable character of the earth(‘s) surface.”
Yeates (1968: 1) “Geography … (is) a science involved in the rational development and verification of a body of
theory which aims to explain and predict the location of phenomena on the earth’s surface.”
Dunford (1982: 85) “Geography is the study of spatial forms produced historically and specified by modes of
production.”
Harvey (1984: 1) “Geographical knowledge records, analyses and stores information about the spatial distribution
and organization of those conditions (both naturally occurring and humanly created) that provide the material basis
for the reproduction of social life.”
Livingstone (1994) Geography is … “an evolving tradition of inquiry – conversation woven around such themes
as map, place, space, region, landscape, and the relations between nature and culture” (Times Higher Education
Supplement, 11 March 1994).
Source: Barnard (2001: 7)
Yeates also views geography as a nomothetic (law-giving) science that develops and tests theories and
models in order to establish geographical laws (Johnston & Sidaway 2004). Dunford (1982) appears to
be an economic geographer influenced by Marxist ideas because of his interest in modes of production.
According to Dear (1988: 268), Marxism is concerned with the “central significance of commodity
production for profit as a principle of social organization.” Harvey’s (1984) definition views geography
as a spatial science that encompasses the increased application of Geographical Information Systems
(GIS) as a research tool in geography. Livingstone (1994) provides the most comprehensive definition
as it includes the main themes studied in geography, as well as one of the most important tools, the
map. The influence of the postmodernist discourse is evident in this definition as it regards geography
as a conversation. Livingstone’s idea of a conversation seems to encourage dialogue between
geographers who hold different perspectives on the nature of the discipline (Dear 1988) and who work
in different sub-disciplines. What distinguishes geography from other disciplines?
A number of geographers have contributed to the discussions on the core of geography, which
distinguishes it from other disciplines (Bonnett 2008; De Blij 1996; Gritzner 2002; Holloway, Rice &
Valentine 2003; International Geographical Union 1992; Kates 1987; Matthew & Herbert 2004;
Pattison 1964; Robinson 1976). According to Pattison (1964: 211), geography has four traditions
21
derived from Western thought: a spatial tradition, an area studies tradition, a man-land tradition and the
earth-science tradition. The four traditions refer to place, space, environment and earth respectively
(Kates 1987: 525). According to Holloway, Rice & Valentine (2003), all four traditions are evident in
the practice of the discipline today.
Pattison (1964) explains that the spatial tradition deals with spatial analysis of phenomena where
geographers are concerned with distance, form, direction and position. The location of things has been
important to geographers since historical times. The desire to illustrate the location of phenomena has
resulted in the production and use of maps in the discipline. Geometry and movement are essential
features of the spatial tradition. Geometry refers to the position and layout of things, some of which
move or are moved on the earth’s surface. Early practitioners of the area studies tradition were Strabo5,
Ptolemy6 and later Hartshorne (1959), who were not only concerned with the location of places but also
the ‘nature of places, their character and their differentiation’ (Pattison 1964: 212). By “character”
Hartshorne (1959) was referring to the features of the natural and human phenomena, their causal
relationships and the interactions between the natural and human phenomena studied in specific areas or
regions.
The man-land tradition emphasises the relationship or interaction between humans and the environment.
This tradition appealed to teachers of the discipline, because according to Pattison (1964), the general
view of the contribution of the discipline by members of the public was that it taught resource use and
conservation. Early proponents of the man-land tradition were divided into those who belonged to the
Environmental Determinism School and the Possibilism School (see Section 2.2.1). Adherents of the
former school held the view that the environment predominantly influenced people’s culture and
direction of development, whereas the latter studied the extent to which people altered their
environments (Haggett 2001; Herbert & Matthews 2004; Holt-Jensen 2009).
According to the International Geographical Union - Commission on Geographical Education (IGU-

CGE) (1992), people engage in human activities that modify the environment. Some of the activities
that they engage in are determined by the nature of the environment. There is thus a need for people to
understand the human-environment interactions to enable the human impacts on the environment to be
successfully managed. This understanding is likely to be improved by incorporating the study of
environmental issues in geography education. The man-land or human-environment tradition is
currently reflected in the study of human geography.
5
Strabo (64 BC-AD 20) was a geographer and historian who contributed to the development of the discipline during the classical geography
period (600 BC – 1870 AD). He wrote 17 volumes of work called Geographica (Holt-Jensen 2009) in which he used a ‘cultural approach,
which entailed a literary synthesis of historical, ethnographic and environmental knowledge’ (Dueck, Lindsay & Pothecary 2006).
6
Ptolemy (AD 90-168) wrote 12 volumes of work currently called Ptolemy’s Geography (Holt-Jensen 2009). He is also well known for his
contribution to cartography.
22
The earth-science tradition concerns the “study of the earth, the atmosphere surrounding the earth and
the association between earth and sun” (Pattison 1964: 214). This tradition appeared in ancient Greece
in Aristotle’s7 work and was later revived by Varenius.8 The earth-science tradition is currently called
physical geography and includes such studies as geomorphology, climatology, biogeography and
meteorology (Barnard 2001).
Pattison (1964) observed that definitions which have been given by some scholars referred to some
elements of geography, but they were inadequate as they tended to alienate many professionals who had
actively participated in the development of the discipline. He further criticized ‘monistic’9 definitions
that ignore some of the traditions, while Kates (1987: 526) noted that “the insistence on collapsing the
four traditions into a single monistic whole continues today.” This criticism implies that the definition
of geography should show the main traditions noted above. The main gist of Pattison’s (1964) argument
is that geography is a pluralistic discipline which reflects the four traditions discussed above (Goudie
1986; Kates 1987).
Robinson (1976) commends Pattison’s (1964) contribution towards establishing a definition of

geography because the four traditions provide the central core and main themes of the subject. Twelve
years after Pattison’s contribution, Robinson (1976) observes that the psychological concept of
perception should be considered in the spatial tradition. According to him, the perception of spatial
concepts by an ordinary member of the public differs from that of the trained eye of a geographer.
Robinson (1976) also notes that Pattison did not include the time element, cartography and the map,
which are central to the study of geography. Holloway, Rice & Valentine (2003) also endorse Pattison’s
(1964) contribution but they identify three more organizing concepts in geography: system10, scale and
time.
7
Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) was a Greek philosopher who contributed to geography’s earth science tradition (Pattison 1964).
8
Varenius (1622-1650) helped to develop the earth-science tradition in his work entitled Geographia Generalis (Pattison 1964)
9
Any theory, or system of thought or belief, that assumes a single ultimate principle, being, force, etc., rather than more than one (online
Oxford English Dictionary 2009)
http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/00314089?query_type=word&queryword=monistic+&first=1&max_to_show=10&single=1&sort_type=alp
ha
10
Haigh (1985: 192) stated that a system is a “wholeness that is created by the integration of its component parts. It is an entity containing a
structured set of components whose structural and functional inter-relationships create an entireness which was not implied by those
components in disaggregation. A system is a functioning organ within reality, conceived at a convenient scale and level of organisation. It is
also a very personal construct. Systems have no absolute existence. They are abstractions from reality conceived by the observer for the
purposes of conceptualization or investigation and at a level of complexity which permits study as a whole.” According to Harrison (2009:
251), a system may be closed, isolated or open. In a closed system matter or energy are not exchanged with the surroundings, whereas in an
isolated system energy but not matter is exchanged with the surroundings. An open system exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings.
The three main features of a system are structure, function and evolution. Additionally, the system may be described in terms of its complexity
and organization.
23
The system can be used as an organizing concept in the study of either the human environment or
physical environment (Haigh 1985; Harrison 2009; Katz 2009; Kennedy 2003; Nir 1987). The systems
approach clarifies the functional interrelationships between the components within the subsystems in
both the human and physical environment. Additionally, the systems approach provides a holistic
perspective that promotes an understanding of how the operation of the human system affects the health
of the physical environment systems and vice versa. The holistic perspective of the systems approach
creates opportunities for incorporating environmental concerns into the teaching and learning of
geography because it helps to improve the understanding of the causes of environmental impacts.
The concept of scale refers to the resolution at which a geographical enquiry can be conducted (Burt
2009). Furthermore, geographers have to resolve the question as to how far the findings of a study
conducted at one spatial scale can apply to another bigger or smaller spatial scale. Scale can be
conceived of as either a real thing or as an organizing framework for studying geographical phenomena.
Human phenomena or social systems are often studied at either the local scale or the global scale or
both (Herod 2009). Scale can also be used in the study of both the human and the physical environment
with reference to time. In physical geography “time is a framework in which geomorphological events
are often placed to infer cause-and-effect relationships” (Thornes 2009: 119). The temporal scale can
also be used to study “human phenomena in the process of change” (Taylor 2009: 140).
The contribution of the International Charter on Geographical Education (IGU-CGE 1992) encapsulates
the nature of geography. The IGU-CGE (1992) states that location and distribution, place, spatial
interaction, region and people-environment relationships are some of the main concepts studied in
geography. The IGU-CGE acknowledges all the themes identified by Pattison (1964) except the earth-
science tradition. It appears that the International Charter on Geographical Education (IGU-CGE 1992)
promotes an integrated approach in which specific environmental issues can be studied from the
perspective of the human-nature interface. According to (IGU-CGE 1992: 5), geographers ask the
following questions:
 Where is it?
 What is it like?
 Why is it there?
 How did it happen?
 What impacts does it have?
 How should it be managed for the mutual benefit of humanity and the natural environment?
These questions help to shed light on the nature of geography for the benefit of school geography
curriculum planners and teachers in the classroom. Additionally, in the process of answering the last
24
two questions, curriculum planners and teachers can incorporate the teaching and learning of EE and
ESD themes in geography education.
Finally, Matthews & Herbert (2004) explain that it is difficult to define geography because the complex
subject straddles the physical and human aspects of the earth’s surface. It thus has an interdisciplinary
nature: overlapping between natural sciences, social sciences and humanities (Holloway, Rice &
Valentine 2003; Clifford et al 2009; Purvis 2004). According to the Tbilisi principles (UNESCO 1978),
environmental education should be implemented through an interdisciplinary approach (see section
3.1.2). Therefore, this makes geography an ideal vehicle for teaching EE and ESD in a subject-based
curriculum. Since the time of the founders of geography as a discipline, Von Humbolt11 and Ritter,12
human geography has been studied through different lenses or schools of thought.
2.2 SCHOOLS OF GEOGRAPHICAL THOUGHT
The idea of paradigms (schools of thought) is related to distinct periods in the development of
knowledge in human geography (Johnston & Sidaway 2004). The Kuhnian model posits that a
discipline goes through periods of crisis or periodic changes when the main paradigms are challenged or
even discarded. Geographers apply the original meaning of a paradigm, provided initially by Kuhn
(1962), which is that it is “an exemplar, model, theoretical framework, political position, viewpoint and
system of protocols and rules” (Pickles & Watts 1992: 301). The idea of paradigms provided an
organizing framework for studying the history of the discipline.
According to Holt-Jensen (2009), the period before Darwin13 was the pre-paradigm phase. Prominent
scholars of this time did not shed light on their methods whereas the paradigmic phase was
characterized by distinct theoretical frameworks coupled with clear methodology. Additionally, during
the pre-paradigm phase geographers pursued a deterministic explanatory framework (Holt-Jensen
2009).
Pickles & Watts (1992: 301) identify a number of perspectives in the history of the discipline:
Darwinism and environmental determinism through possibilism, probabilism, areal differentiation,
cultural ecology, landscape study, locational analysis, spatial science, systems analysis, humanism,
Marxism, structuralism, social geography and post-modernism. A selection of some of the perspectives
is highlighted in the following sections.
11
Von Humbolt, Alexander (1769-1859), “German polymath, whose research expeditions contributed to the establishment of physical
geography” (Holt-Jensen 2009).
12
Ritter, Carl (1779-1859) “German geographer, first university professor in geography, in Berlin” (Holt-Jensen 2009).
13
Darwin, Charles (1809-1882), British natural scientist who wrote Origin of the Species (1859).
25
2.2.1 Early views on human-environment relationships
Geographers had different views on the relationship between people and the environment. There was a
great debate on whether people were controlled by the environment or whether the environment was
there for their wanton exploitation (Haggett 2001; Peet 1998). Extreme views arose in this debate –
environmental determinism and possibilism (see Table 2.2). Charles Darwin’s work on the Origin of
the Species (1859) sowed the seeds of environmental determinism when he argued about the importance
of competition and the survival of better adapted species in the environment (Haggett 2001; Peet 1998).
The main proponents of environmental determinism were Frederick Ratzel, a German geographer and
Ellen Churchill Semple, an American geographer (see physical determinism in Table 2.2). According to
Ratzel, the distribution of the human population on the earth’s surface could be attributed only to
environmental factors (Haggett 2001).
Ratzel’s view is echoed in one of Semple’s writings, cited in Haggett (2001: 354):
Man is a product of the earth’s surface. This means not merely that he is a child of the
earth, dust of her dust, but that the earth has mothered him, fed him, set him tasks, directed
his thoughts, confronted him with difficulties that have strengthened his body and
sharpened his wits, given him his problems of navigation or irrigation, and at the same time
whispered hints for their solution.
Griffith Taylor, another proponent of environmental determinism (see Table 2.2), argued that the
environment in western Australia is more extreme than that in Europe and so it has a greater control
over human activity (Haggett 2001; Johnston & Sidaway 2004). In other words, there is a limit to what
humans can do to change the harsh environment. He refers to his view as stop and go determinism. This
means that people’s attempts to change a harsh environment are short-lived because nature will take
over in the long run and determine the direction of people’s endeavours (Johnston & Sidaway 2004).
However, some academics such as, Alfred Hettner14 and Lucien Febvre15 saw the environment as
providing opportunities rather than constraints – a view termed possibilism (see Table 2.2). The
possibilists argued that people examine the range of possible activities that they can carry out in a
particular environment and then select those that suit their cultural and technological capabilities
(Johnston & Sidaway 2004).
Herbert & Matthews (2004: 6) point out that the debate about the relationship between humans and the
environment was restricted to conceptual discussions which did not move to empirical verification.
14
Alfred Hettner (1859-1941) was a German geographer.
15
Lucien Febvre (1878-1956) was French historian and geographer (Barnard 2001).
26
Table 2.2 Main schools of geographic environmentalism

SCHOOL BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Cognitive Behaviouralism Holds the view that the impact of the environment on people is partly
dependent on their perception (cognition) of the resources and
barriers it poses.
Human ecology Envisages reciprocal reactions between human and

environment, like those of other plant and animal species. This view is
associated with the Chicago geographer Harlan Barrows (1877-
1960).
Physical determinism Holds the view that the environment largely controls human
development. It is associated with the German geographer Friedrich
Ratzel (1844-1904) and his American disciple Ellen Churchill Semple
(1863-1932).
Possibilism Argues that the environment offers sets of possibilities, but the choice
between them is determined by human beings. The French historian
Lucien Febvre (1878-1956) was one of the strongest proponents of
this view.
Scientific determinism A variant of physical determinism in which the argument proceeds

from statistical analysis of sets of data rather than individual case
studies. Yale geographer Ellisworth Huntington (1876-1947) was the
leader of this school of thought.
Stop and go determinism Holds the view that people determine the rate but not the direction of
an area’s development (Griffith Taylor 1880-1963).
Soource: Haggett (2001: 353)
Current views on the people-environment relationship will be dealt with later (see Section 2.3).
Environmental determinism was often expressed in regional geography monographs where a causal
explanation for human activities was sought in the physical environment.
2.2.2 Regionalism
According to Herbert & Matthews (2004), regionalism traditionally involved detailed descriptions of
specific parts of the earth’s surface. Paul Vidal de la Blache, the founder of modern French geography,
developed regional geography in France (Holt-Jensen 2009). He severely criticized adherents of
environmental determinism for separating the natural environment from the socio-cultural environment
and then setting one against the other.
27
According to Paul Vidal de la Blache the relationship between people and the natural environment is
“so intimate that it is not possible to distinguish the influence of humanity on nature from
that of nature on humanity…The area over which such an intimate relationship between
human beings and nature has developed through the centuries constitutes a region. The
study of regions…should be the geographer’s task” (Holt-Jensen 2009: 46).
In the United States of America, Hartshorne’s (1959) contribution on ‘areal differentiation’ emphasized
the classification and subdivision of geographical space in a systematic way in the study of regional
geography (Haggett 2001). The map was also central to the study of regions (Johnston & Sidaway
2004: 52). Hartshorne’s (1959) view of geography is that “the ultimate purpose of geography, the study
of aerial differentiation of the world, is most clearly expressed in regional geography” and the practice
of regional geography distinguishes geographers from other scientists (Johnston & Sidaway 2004: 51).
The typical regional study followed the systematic approach - a sequence of themes relating to a
particular region: physical features, climate, vegetation, agriculture, industries, population and other
relevant information. However, EE and ESD cannot be taught effectively through the systematic
approach because the physical and human geography topics are covered separately without showing the
human-environment relationships (see also Section 2.6.5.5).
A number of academics became dissatisfied with the regional geography approach in the 1950s (Unwin
1992), and among these was Schaefer (1953), cited in Peet (1998:13), who delivered a paper criticizing
Hartshorne’s views on the nature of geography at that time. Schaefer suggested that geography should
adopt the logical positivist school of science and should provide explanations that require laws
(Johnston & Sidaway 2004). Debates over philosophy and methods in geography resulted in a
revolution against the regional geography paradigm and the logical positivist framework was adopted.
2.2.3 Logical positivism in geography
Between 1950 and 1965, the majority of geographers adopted logical positivism and quantitative
techniques from other social sciences such as economics and sociology (Barnard 2001). Geography
academics vigorously searched for standardised methodology based on mathematics and a body of
theory on which they could base their hypotheses, analyses and predictions (Barnard 2001; Castree,
Rogers & Sherman 2005; Harvey 1969). The empirical circle was followed in the research process. An
academic who identified a problem through fieldwork, formulated a hypothesis which could be tested
though the statistical manipulation of data collected from the field (Barnard 2001). During the quest for
a body of theory for explanation and prediction, the discipline evolved into a spatial science as
geographers adopted theories from economics and formulated others within the discipline (Barnard
28
2001). Haggett & Chorley (1969), Haggett, Cliff & Frey (1977) and Harvey (1969) contributed greatly
to the development of geography as a spatial science.
However, a lot of criticism has been levelled against the logical positivist framework in geography
(Castree, Rogers & Sherman 2005; Entrikin 1976; Johnston & Sidaway 2004; Unwin 1992). Entrikin
(1976: 616) observes that the logical positivist framework was viewed as “overly objective, narrow,
mechanistic and deterministic.” People were treated as “little more than dots on a map, statistics on a
graph or numbers in an equation.” Human beings were dehumanized by the spatial science perspective
(Barnard 2001). The logical positivist framework was also criticized on the grounds that it did not
provide a sound philosophical underpinning to the discipline (Unwin 1992). Behavioural geography,
unlike spatial science, acknowledges the importance of knowledge and perception of decision-makers in
the location of enterprises (Holt-Jensen 2009).
2.2.4 Behavioural geography
According to Bunting & Guelke (1979) and Johnston & Sidaway (2004), behavioural geography
developed as result of dissatisfaction with spatial science models that assumed that people were
perfectly rational beings and that they inhabited an isotropic plain.16 Critics of spatial science called for
an alternative approach in which empirical models could be based on actual human preferences and
perceptions instead of unrealistic assumptions (Johnston & Sidaway 2004). Bunting & Guelke (1979)
note that behavioural or perception studies in geography are based on a theoretical framework, called
cognitive behaviourism (see Table 2.2). The latter, according to the Bunting & Guelke, assumes that
human beings react to their environment as they perceive or interpret it through previous experiences
and knowledge.
Logical positivism in geography has also been criticized for dismissing the importance of people’s
values. Merrett (2000) states that with the adoption of this paradigm in geography, the discussion of
values and social justice issues disappeared. Harvey (1973), cited in Merrett (2000: 212) argues that
positivism in geography causes academics to produce research that maintains the status quo in that the
research does not solve current social problems (see also Sections 2.2.6 and 3.1.1.2). Academics are
called upon to conduct value-laden research on issues related to poverty, gender and the environment
and to engage in praxis17 (Peet & Thrift 1989), cited in Merrett (2000). Merrett’s (2000) criticism of
logical positivism in geography has implications for the incorporation of environmental concerns in
16
This was an “idealized segment of the earth’s surface, perfectly flat with an even spread of natural resources, the population uniformly
distributed and transport available in all directions at equal cost” (Barnard 2001: 70).
17
Praxis “implies a connection between research, the transmittal of research findings through teaching, and the application of those ideas in
society” (Merrett 2000: 212).
29
geography education. In order to promote the teaching and learning of positive attitudes and values for
more sustainable lifestyles or to achieve transformation of lifestyles, critical theory in place of logical
positivism in geography could be adopted because it is transformative and has an emancipatory interest
(Fien 1993; Habermas 1978; Huckle 1997).
Concerned geographers proposed the humanistic perspective and radical geography. The humanistic
perspective is an approach that studies human aspects such as meanings, values, goals and purposes
(Johnston & Sidaway 2004), whereas radical geography seeks to transform the society that is riddled
with economic inequalities resulting from capitalism. The next two sections deal with humanistic
geography and radical geography.
2.2.5 Humanistic geography
Some geographers have adopted a number of humanistic perspectives mainly underpinned by the
philosophies of existentialism18 and phenomenology19 (Buttimer 1976; Entrikin 1976; Relph 1981).
Tuan (1976: 266) states that the aim of humanistic geography is to obtain a better understanding of
human beings, their situation and the right picture of the human world. This, he continues, is achieved
by studying people’s relationship with nature, their geographical behaviour, their feelings and ideas
regarding space and place. The nature of humanistic geography is summarized by Ley (1978: 50), cited
in Smith (1981):
(He) identifies three building blocks of humanistic geography as anthropocentrism (the

allocation of human consciousness to a significant position in theory); intersubjectivity (the
inherently social nature of experience); and the concept of place. This view requires the
acquisition of knowledge to be an experiential process; it demands that there are no
essences or absolutes existing independently of the observer; and it implies therefore that
the only authentic means of appreciating the world is through direct confrontation with it.
In humanistic geography, place is a small part of the earth’s surface which is not well defined and
people experience it in a particular way. The positive or negative feelings that a place arouses are
studied by the humanistic geographer (Barnard 2001).
18
“Its central concern is with human existence in the world. Themes explored by existentialist philosophers include the relationships between
individuals and systems, intentionality, being and absurdity, freedom and choice, and anxiety and dread. Much existentialist writing focuses on
the way in which individuals are estranged from the world of externalized things, with the intention of reuniting them with their inherent
creativity” Unwin (1992: 214).
19
It “involves the description of things as one experiences them. Experiences include seeing, hearing, and other sensory relations, but also
believing, remembering, imagining, being excited, getting angry, judging and evaluating, and having physical relations, like lifting and
pushing things” (Peet 1998: 37).
30
Tuan (1974) coined the term Topophilia to refer to love of place. From a phenomelogical perspective,
Tuan noted that people’s sense of place is affected by age, gender, culture, religion and time.
Humanistic geography also covers the theme of placelessness caused by globalization which imposes
homogeneity over landscapes (Barnard 2001). A final note on humanistic geography from Entrikin
(1976: 625) is on other common features: lack of a clearly defined methodology; the importance of non-
empirical means of gaining knowledge such as intuition; and, the goal of ascertaining the structures or
form of human experience.
Humanistic geography has, however, been criticized for its “irrelevance to present social and
environmental problems” (Pocock 1983: 355). Brunn & Yanarella (1987) concur with this view: that
the anthropocentrism20 of humanistic geography could worsen the environmental problems because it
promotes a technocentric human-environment relationship. This is characterized by a belief in modern
science and technical solutions to environmental problems.
2.2.6 Radical geography, Marxism and structuralism
According to Unwin (1992), radical geography began in the late 1960s against the backdrop of
widespread global political unrest. The armed struggle for freedom was taking place in many countries
in the Third World, with civil rights protests by Afro-Americans in the United States, Britain and other
western countries (Barnard 2001). Some geographers were concerned about wealth inequalities and
social injustices created by the capitalist economic system. They were also dissatisfied with the
technical support that the logical positivist perspective or empirical-analytic science provided to the
capitalist economic system in maintaining the status quo (Peet 2000; Unwin 1992). Quaini (1982), cited
in Unwin (1992), noted that the aim of radical geography was to revolutionize the geographical theory
and practice. According to Blomley (2008: 285), “radical and critical geographies seek not only to
interpret the world, but also to change it through the melding of theory and political action.”
In the United States radical geography started with the launching of Antipode, a journal of radical
geography, at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Early issues of the journal covered spatial
problems such as poverty, minority rights and access to social services (Barnard 2001). Paradoxically,
Harvey, whose earlier work Explanation in geography had contributed to the development of theory in
spatial science, became one of the most passionate proponents of radical geography (Castree 2007;
Merrett 2000). He published journal articles in Antipode in which he focused on ghetto formation,
20
According to Shrivastava (1995: 126), anthropocentrism is “an ideology that asserts the separateness, uniqueness, primacy, and superiority
of the human species. This concept legitimizes human welfare as the central purpose of societal institutions. Accordingly, nature is viewed as
an expendable resource for furthering the interests of humans.”
31
using the writings of Karl Marx21 as a theoretical framework (Unwin 1992). Unwin observes that
Harvey’s (1973) book, Social justice and the city, presented four themes: the nature of theory, the
nature of space, the nature of social justice, and the nature of urbanism. Harvey argues that the Marxist
theoretical framework used to explain the existence of ghettoes offers a better explanation than the
logical positivist framework. He thus injected Marxist theory into geography and radical geography
eventually assumed the name Marxist geography (Barnard 2001).
Geographers borrowed dialectical materialism22 from Marxism and used it as a framework to pursue the
discipline. According to Unwin (1992), Marx’s ideas are evident in four main areas of geographical
enquiry. First, the transition from feudalism to capitalism and the growth of industrial capital were
studied in historical geography using Marx’s ideas. Second, research has been done in the urban context
to highlight the role of capitalism in creating social injustice. Third, the Marxist framework has been
used to elucidate regional inequalities resulting from closure and relocation of industries. Fourth,
Marxist ideas have been used to explain the issues related to underdevelopment in Third World
countries.
Marxist geography was also influenced by structuralism. Structuralist philosophy posits that observable
human phenomena can be explained by underlying structures which cannot be touched or measured
(Unwin 1992). According to Marxist ideas, the underlying structures include political and economic
institutions that sustain the social injustice. Unwin’s view is that radical Marxist geography had a small
effect on the discipline. Its emergence, however, gave rise to the feminist approach in geographical
inquiry which interrogates gender inequality and the oppression of women. Marxist geography has been
criticized for being reductionist in that all problems are attributed to economic causes only. The role of
human agency is downplayed (Barnard 2001; Duncan & Ley 1982).
Additionally, Marxist geography was criticized for lacking a robust environmental theory to explain
human-nature relationships during the 1970s (Castree 2002b; Wisner 1978). Nevertheless, some
Marxist geographers disapprove of dominant modernist discourses on environmental management
derived from Western science. Some of these geographers have tried to show that the class struggle is
implicit in the reference to terms such as resources and wildlife conservation (Wisner 1978).
Furthermore, Marxist geographers are increasingly addressing issues resulting from human-
21
Karl Marx (1818-1883) German philosopher and political scientist whose writings had a profound influence on radical geography though
David Harvey (Holt-Jensen 2009).
22
Dialectical materialism is an approach that stresses material needs and opposites. It is an effective but complex instrument for analyzing
change and also determines the researcher’s attitude to research problems (Barnard 2001: 52).
32
environment relationships such as environmental (in)justice23 (Meletis & Campbell 2009; Schroeder et
al 2008; Walker & Bulkeley 2006).
According to Cutter (1995), the principle of environmental justice ensures first, that all residents are
protected from environmental degradation. Second, the polluters of the environment are required to
engage in measures that prevent the worsening of health impacts on the residents. Thirdly, the
environmental justice principle provides instruments for assigning the responsibility of proof of
contamination to polluters and not residents. Fourth, mechanisms are provided by which the residents
can seek redress for the harm or injuries to their health that may result from the contamination of the
environment. Additionally, Capek (1993), cited by Cutter (1995: 112), states that the residents are
assured of “the right to information, the right to a hearing and the right to compensation.”
A number of geography scholars have conducted research on the distribution of amenities and polluted
sites, including those containing toxic waste in relation to the location of residential areas occupied by
racial and ethnic minorities in the US. Some of this research has uncovered environmental injustice
issues resulting from institutionalized and environmental racism24 (Bickerstaff & Agyeman 2009;
Boone et al 2009; Holifield, Porter & Walker 2009). The concept of environmental (in)justice has been
extended to studies in less developed countries as well. Some of the studies have exposed
environmental racism perpetrated by transnational corporations involved in the export of toxic waste as
well as the relocation of toxic industries from developed to less developed countries (Schroeder et al
2008; Walker 2009).
The environmental justice frame was introduced to South Africa from the US during the early 1990s
(Cock 2004; Walker 2009). Grassroots activism against pollution had already started in Durban due to
the presence of high levels of ground, air and water pollution which posed a health hazard to the
residents living in the vicinity of the South Durban industrial area. Some of the country’s heavy
industries, including two oil refineries, are located here. Non-whites had been forcibly moved to this
area through the Group Areas Act during the 1950s and 1960s. The fight for environmental justice was
thus intertwined with the struggle against apartheid injustices during the late 1980s and early 1990s
(Walker 2009). As a result of these struggles, environmental rights were incorporated into the Bill of
Rights in the new post-apartheid constitution (South Africa 1996a) so as to address the problem of
environmental inequality that affected the majority of the Black population (Cock 2004; Walker 2009).
23
Environmental justice is defined in the Dictionary of Human Geography (2009) as: “The right of everyone to enjoy and benefit from a safe
and healthy environment, regardless of race, class, gender or ethnicity. More specifically, environmental justice is a social movement that takes
social justice and environmental politics as fundamentally inseparable.”
24
“Environmental racism includes differential exposure to harm and limiting of access to resources that are reliant on, or that reproduce forms
of, racial differentiation” (Gregory et al 2009). (http://www.credoreference.com.ez.sun.ac.za/entry/bkhumgeo/environmental_racism)
33
The social and environmental justice principle has also been incorporated into the school curriculum in
post-apartheid South Africa. It underpins the FET general curriculum (see section 3.3.3). Furthermore,
Marxist geographers have introduced the political ecology25 framework (see also Section 2.2.8) in the
study of human-environment relationships. The Marxist urban political ecology framework has been
used “for theorizing and analyzing capitalism and class as primary drivers of socio-environmental
change” (Bryant 1997; 1998; Heynen 2003; Holifield, Porter & Walker 2009). Some of the issues that
have been investigated using the political ecology framework relate to environmental (in)justice
discussed earlier (Swyngedouw & Heynen 2003; Keil 2003). Radical geography gradually evolved
into what is currently called critical geography (Castree 2000).
2.2.7 Critical geography
Castree (2000: 956) observes that critical geography “is an umbrella term for that plethora of antiracist,
disabled, feminist, green, Marxist, postmodern, post-structural, postcolonial, and queer geographies
which now constitute the large, dynamic, and broad-based disciplinary Left.” As a result, critical
geography has a varied epistemology, ontology and methodology, and lacks a single identity (Hubbard
et al. 2002). Critical geography, according to Blomley (2006), “is one variant of a rich and long-
standing tradition of critical inquiry in social science.” Castree (2000) and Blomley (2007) note that in
30 years since the emergence of radical geography in the late 1960s, there has been a phenomenal
expansion of critical geography. Unwin (1992) argues that Habermas’s (1974) critical theory should be
central in the practice of critical geography in a number of ways. First, a critical approach to geography
should reveal how facts are constructed through action-oriented research that seeks to bring about
change. Second, practitioners of critical geography should take cognizance of the cognitive interest of
critical geography. Thirdly, they should explore the importance of communication and language
because these affect our view of reality. Fourth, emancipation through self-reflection is possible at three
levels: individual experience, teaching and research.
The study of environmental issues can be more effectively done through critical geography because it is
transformative and has an emancipatory interest. This is illustrated in the contribution of Marxist
geography (see Sections 2.2.6 and 2.6.1) and postmodernist perspectives (see Section 2.2.8).
Postmodernism in the discipline falls under the umbrella of critical geography as mentioned earlier. The
next section deals with postmodernism.
25
“At the heart of political ecology research is the notion that politics should be `put first' in the attempt to understand how human-
environment interaction may be linked to the spread of environmental degradation” (Bryant 1998: 80). Political ecology research is often
linked to the investigation of environmental (in)justice issues.
34
2.2.8 Postmodernism
Postmodernism attacks modern-day philosophy (Barnard 2001; Curry 1991; Dear 1988; Gregory 1989;
Morgan & Lambert 2005; Munck 2000; Rust 1991; Unwin 1992). It revolts against “modernist
epistemology … [which] searches for universal truths and meaning, usually through some kind of
metadiscourse or metanarrative” (Dear 1988: 265). Furthermore, it challenges the authority of
dominant discourses and questions the basis of their privileged status. Proponents of postmodernism
disapprove of the dominance of some discourses over others. Postmodernism proposes a philosophy
that is a “conversation” in which everyone is included. It is described by Barnard (2001: 62) as being
“open, tolerant, pluralistic and liberating.”
Postmodernism has benefited from the realization by philosophers that language lies at the heart of all
knowledge (Olsson 1991). The debates in which postmodernists engage mainly focus on how language
is used to “maintain the hegemony of the privileged discourse” (Dear 1988: 266). One of the main study
methods in postmodernism is deconstruction, in which certain inconsistencies, contradictions and
omissions in the written text are exposed. Deconstruction shows us how to read text in such a way that
we focus on what has been excluded (Dear 1988).
With regards to tackling environmental issues, geographers are “re-discovering and re-defining human
environmental relations” through postmodernist perspectives (Cooke 1992: 132). According to Blaikie
(1996), postmodernists question the modernist basis of environmental management policies on science.
They reject the role of the so-called expert environmental scientists’ contribution to the policy making
process. They also propose that multiple actors such as scientists and ordinary people or grassroots
participation can play an important role in contributing solutions to environmental problems.
Furthermore, postmodernists interrogate the “privileged status of scientific knowledge” in favour of the
empowerment of ordinary people (Blaikie 1996: 82). For example, the indigenous knowledge of local
environments could be provided by local farmers, pastoralists and forest dwellers in less developed
countries in order to address issues mentioned in Agenda 21 related to land degradation, desertification
and biodiversity loss (Blaikie 1996; Bryant 1998). This view has implications on designing the content
of school geography. However, Blaikie (1996) criticizes some postmodernists for only engaging in
deconstruction or criticism without providing alternative solutions. Furthermore, some of the suggested
alternatives could eventually become the very same totalizing discourses or metanarratives which
postmodernists so fervently criticise, for example the controversy between expert-led, science-based
environmental policy versus the locally based solutions that empower ordinary people (Blaikie 1996).
35
Postmodernism has also contributed the idea of unequal power relations which can enhance the
understanding of the causes of environmental problems, for example in less developed countries
(Bryant 1997; 1998; Castree 2002a). Bryant (1997: 10) states that:
At the heart of a political ecology reading of the Third World's environmental problems is
the idea that the relationship between actors (i.e. states, businesses, non-governmental
organisations, farmers etc), and the links between actors and the physical environment, are
conditioned by power relations. Those relations are highly unequal in so far as different
actors bring to bear different power capabilities in struggles over access to environmental
resources in the Third World. Power is thus for political ecologists a key concept in efforts
to specify the topography of a politicised environment.
Bryant (1997) discusses the ways in which the unequal power relations are manifested. The powerful
actors seek to control the environment of the other actors. Additionally, the unequal power relations are
manifested in the condition of the physical environment. The weaker actors in turn, try to resist the
impact of the powerful actors on their livelihoods. According to Bryant (1997), the powerful actors such
as the state, private companies and wealthy individuals can deny local people access to resources, e.g.
land, forests, water, minerals, etc., thus adversely affecting the peoples’ livelihoods. These actors also
wield the power to degrade the environment of the weaker actors through pollution which might
adversely affect their health. Moreover, the powerful actors leave an imprint of infrastructure and
pollution on the physical environment produced by the economic activities which they engage in.
Bryant (1997) further observes that the weaker actors often resist through sabotaging the economic
activities which they believe present a threat to their livelihoods.
The environmental movement can find space in Marxist, critical and postmodernist geographies as
noted above. The next section reviews the literature on the involvement of geographers in
environmentalism.
2.3 GEOGRAPHERS AND ENVIRONMENTALISM
According to Johnston, Gregory & Smith (1994: 167), environmentalism refers to a ‘wide range of
ideas and practices evincing a concern for nature-society or human-environment relations.” A more
informative definition is provided by Mayhew & Penny (1992: 76) cited by Beaumont & Philo (2004).
They define environmentalism as “a concern for the environment, and especially with the bond between
[humanity] and the environment, not solely in terms of technology but also in ethical terms – we are
reminded of the necessity of sharing and conservation. [Humans are] seen as having a responsibility for
36
[their] environment.”26 Johnston, Gregory & Smith (1994) outline three perspectives of human-
environment relationships: society living in harmony with nature (deep ecology or ecocentric view);
humanity as determined by nature (environmental determinism) (see Section 2.2.1); and, humans as
modifiers of nature (technocentric view) (see Section 2.2.5). They note that environmentalism is
currently dominated by the latter perspective. Beaumont & Philo (2004) caution that rigid definitions of
the term might fail to capture different perspectives on people’s relationships with the environment.
People became increasingly concerned with environmental problems since the late 1960s. This is
illustrated by a number of events, mentioned below, which have occurred since that time (Beaumont &
Philo 2004). The world was spurred into action by Rachel Carson’s (1962) book, Silent Spring, in
which she highlighted the unintended impacts of pesticides on birds. In 1972 the Stockholm Conference
on the Human Environment drew the world’s attention to the transboundary effects of industrial
pollution. The term ‘sustainable development’ emerged and was popularized through the Brundtland
report, Our Common Future (WCED 1987). Sustainable development aims to integrate economic and
social development with environmental protection (Barrow 1995). The 1992 Rio Earth Summit,
UNCED, brought together heads of government, non-governmental organizations and other
stakeholders to discuss environmental problems and associated development issues (Barrow 1995). The
Rio Earth Summit was followed by the Johannesburg World Conference on Sustainable Development
in 2002. The significance of the above events is discussed in greater detail in Section 3.1.2.
At the inception of the environmentalism movement mainly led by scientists (see also Section 3.1.1),
there was heated debate among academics on whether population increase caused environmental
problems or whether environmental problems could be attributed to technological advancement that
caused both the depletion of resources and increased pollution (O’Riordan 1976). The contribution of
geographers to this debate during the early years of the environmental movement was negligible
(Barnard 2001; Beaumont & Philo 2004; Castree 2004; Johnston, Gregory & Smith 1994; Kates 1987;
Liverman 1999; Marsden 1997; O’Riordan 1976; Sauri-Pujol 1993; Stoddart 1987; Unwin 1992). After
reviewing a number of journals such as Perspectives on Environment, Mikesell (1974), cited in
Johnston & Sidaway (2004), concluded that geographical contributions to environmentalism were
insignificant. He noted that geographers had not actively participated in debates on environmental,
social and philosophical issues during the environmental campaign. Furthermore, Johnston & Sidaway
(2004) analyzed the contents of recent geographical journals as well as O’Riordan’s (1976) and
Goudie’s (1993) bibliographies and attested to the minimal contribution made by geographers towards
tackling environmental issues. Castree (2002a) is also dissatisfied with the contribution of geographers
towards influencing the development of environmental policy. He comments that “the discipline
remains a marginal player in the shaping of environmental agendas.”
26
Matthews & Herbert have changed some of the terms in the quotation in order to make them more gender sensitive.
37
However, Turner (2002) argues that this situation has been corrected in the United States where human-
environment relationships now form a significant portion of the American geography discipline.
According to Turner (2002: 53) cited in Bednarz (2006), American academic geography can be divided
into “geography as a spatial-chorological approach and geography as the human-environment subject.”
Turner proposes that an integrated approach could focus on the study of human-environment
interactions with the spatial perspective as a method. This approach could provide opportunities to place
the study of environmental problems at the centre of geographical enquiry. Additionally, this
perspective has implications on tackling environmental issues through school geography curriculum
(see section 2.6.2).
The low level of involvement of geographers in environmental issues at the inception of the
environmentalism movement can be attributed to a number of factors (Unwin 1992). First, the
restructuring that took place in institutions of higher learning resulted in the merging of departments
and the creation of interdisciplinary research. Second, new disciplines such as environmental science
and conservation emerged. They focus on the management of resources and the monitoring of
environmental problems – subject areas that could be covered by geography. Third, the division of the
discipline into physical geography underpinned by logical positivism and human geography, whose
philosophical framework has shifted towards social sciences, has deterred geographers from moving
environmental issues to the centre of geographical enquiry.
Stoddart (1987: 331) criticizes the nature of geography. He observes that it is diffuse and lacks a central
focus, which should be the “earth’s diversity, its resources, man’s survival on the planet.” This implies
that geography needs to play a greater role in addressing problems that result from human-environment
interactions. Additionally Stoddart argues that there is need to unify the discipline (human and physical
geography) to enable geographical problems or environmental issues to be identified, studied and
alleviated or solved where possible. This view is supported by Kates (1987) and Guelke (1989).
According to Kates (1987), greater involvement of geographers in environmental issues is imperative.
He also criticises the dominance of spatial science in geography and argues that the discipline is more
suited to playing a leading role in dealing with environmental issues because it offers a more integrated
view than other disciplines. Similarly, Guelke (1989) urges geographers to re-emphasize “the central
importance of the human-environment relationship as the foundation of the discipline” so as to address
the lack of coherence in the geography discipline noted by Stoddart (1987).
Finally, those geographers who identify themselves as environmentalists such as Douglas (1986),
Goudie (1986), Stoddart (1987) and Turner (2002), support a united discipline based on
environmentalism and argue that human-environment relationships provide a basis for uniting physical
and human geography (Beaumont & Philo 2004).
38
2.4 A DISINTEGRATING DISCIPLINE – NEED FOR UNITY
A number of academics lament the widening rift between physical and human geography (Archer &
Dodson 1997; Barnard 2001; Cooke 1992; Douglas 1986; Goudie 1986; Mathews & Herbert 2004;
Viles 2005). They argue that this will result in narrow sub-disciplines whose contribution to the study
and solution of environmental problems could be reduced. Graham (1986) stresses the importance of
uniting the two sub-disciplines because, according to him, the acceptance of geography as a coherent
discipline depends on the unity between physical and human geography.
However, there have been marked changes in physical geography globally (Barnard 2001; Meadows
2007; Vogel 1992). The main feature of the changes is the emergence of integrated geography, which
can be applied more effectively in solving environmental problems than the separate disciplines. This
integration has been effected within the physical geography sub-disciplines such as geomorphology,
climatology and biogeography as well as between physical geography and human geography (Blaikie
1985; Gregory, Gurnell & Petts 2002). The integrated geography is called environmental geography
(Barnard 2001). However, Johnston (2003), cognizant of the epistemological dissonance not only
between physical and human geography but also within human geography itself, is doubtful of the
success of uniting the two sub-disciplines.
The focus now turns to South Africa in which this research project is based. I deal with the
institutionalization of geography as well as developments in academic geography since the time of
colonization of the country up to the current period.
2.5 SOUTH AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY
Changes in the South African geography discipline have closely followed developments in Anglo-
American geography because of colonization (Magi, Maharaj & Fairhurst 2002; Pirie 1985; Wesso
1994). According to Pirie (1985), this was illustrated by the fact that most cited journals are British and
American. However, local academics are currently struggling to decolonize the discipline and to infuse
a South African identity that incorporates the African continent. South African geographers have
heeded the call for post-apartheid transformation that requires the discipline to address local socio-
economic and environmental problems.
2.5.1 Institutionalization of the discipline
Geography departments initially operated within geology departments and until the middle of the 20th
century, physical geography dominated the research output (De Blij 1960). By 2004, the research output
39
in human geography had overtaken that of physical geography (Sumner 2006). Initially the geography
departments in universities had a very small staff complement, with an average of about two to three
members of staff in the 1950s (De Blij 1960; Fairhurst et al 2003). This number slowly increased to an
average of eight members of staff per department (Mather 2007), which is still small compared to
British, Canadian and American universities whose average staff complement was 20 per department
(Fairhurst et al 2003).
The original aim of university geographical education was to supply teachers (De Blij 1960; Fairhurst et
al 2003; Mather 2007; Preston-Whyte 1983). De Blij (1960) noted that almost all geography university
graduates were employed by the provincial education departments. However, this situation has been
reversed since the mid 1990s (Fairhurst et al 2003; Nicolau & Davis 2002). Fewer university graduates
are currently opting for the teaching profession. This has implications on the supply of geography
teachers to the South African high schools. Zeitsman (2002) attributes this situation to, first, the
withdrawal of student bursaries which bonded the graduates to a teaching contract after completing
their studies. Second, the remuneration in the teaching profession is not attractive, and so this
discourages students from opting for the teaching profession.
The South African Geographical Society (SAGS) provides professional support and helps to promote
geographical education, the interests of the discipline, research and the development of professional
geography. Its journal is the South African Geographical Journal. In 1994 the SAGS merged with the
Society for Geography whose journal was South African Geography (Fairhurst et al 2003; Pirie 1985).
The members of the latter society were Afrikaner geography professionals. The impact of the apartheid
policy was that it reduced the interaction between academics in historically white and those in
historically black universities (Ramutsindela 2002). As a result, membership and participation of non-
whites in geography societies was minimal (Van der Merwe 1996). The SAGS has been criticized for
failing to design and implement strategies for black intellectual empowerment (Ramutsindela 2002).
South African geographers have maintained links with the International Geographical Union (IGU) and
some academics actively participate in the work of the IGU (Fairhurst et al 2003). There have been calls
that university geography curricula need to be changed in order to make them more relevant and more
Afrocentric (Mather 2007; Wesso 1994).
English-medium universities were relatively free to design their own curricula. They engaged in critical
geography focusing on the injustices created by the apartheid policy against the black community.
Afrikaans-medium universities were, however, rather conservative because they continued to retain the
logical positivist framework and focused on problems that affected the white communities (Mather
2007). Literature reviewed by Nicolau & Davis (2002) shows that there were calls to restructure
40
geography to enable it to respond to transformation in the work of the following geographers (Binns
1999; Crush 1993; Fairhurst 1999; Gamble 1992; Hart 1994; Rogerson 1990).
Academic geography had to be restructured in response to the changing social, political and economic
environment in the 1990s (Van der Merwe 1996). Recently there has been a shift towards cross-
disciplinary courses or programmes, for example development, environmental management and GIS, so
as to attract more students who want to acquire the knowledge and skills to enable them to obtain better
paying jobs (Fairhurst et al 2003; Mather 2007; Meadows 2007; Nicolau & Davis 2002). In the case of
existing courses, content has been modified so as to include applied work (Fairhurst 2001). According
to Nicolau & Davis (2002), between 1996 and 2000 the discipline became more “skills and vocationally
based.” After increasing the number of environmentally orientated courses, the majority of geography
departments have changed their names to include environmental studies or environmental science and /
or environmental management (Oelofse & Scott 2002; Meadows 2007). This development increases
opportunities for addressing environmental issues through the academic discipline and school
geography. University academics may influence the content of school geography through participation
in designing school geography curricula. However, it is likely that the technocentric perspective could
prevail due to the influence of the positivist framework within which some geographers continue to
work as observed by Lammas (1992). However, academics fear that as the number of such programmes
increases, this might threaten the integrity and coherence of geography as discipline (Magi et al 2002;
Mather 2007).
The restructuring of academic geography has been attributed to a number of factors: the decrease in the
number of students enrolling for geography courses; a less favourable funding model; the decreasing
status of geography as a school subject after the introduction of new curricula; and, a reduction in the
staff complement of university departments (Vlok & Zietsman 2001). According to Nicolau & Davis
(2002), the restructuring programme has resulted in an increase in the enrolment of geography students
especially at post-graduate level.
Because South African geography has Anglo-American origins, some of the perspectives described in
Section 2.2 can be identified in the research outputs of local academics. A significant number of the
academics still work within the logical positivist paradigm (Lammas 1992). The next section focuses on
the routes of South African geography.
41
2.5.2 Some routes of South African academic geography
The early period up to the 1950s was characterized by descriptive geography without any distinct
conceptual or theoretical framework (Ramutsindela 2002). Fuggle (1967), cited in Ramutsindela (2002)
observes that no identifiable ‘school of thought’ was developed at this time.
2.5.2.1 South African perspectives on human geography
The logical positivist epistemology in the form of spatial science dominated the discipline up to the
1970s (Crush 1993; Fairhurst et al 2003; Mather 2007; Nicolau & Davis 2002). According to Pirie
(1985), regional geography decreased while systematic studies underpinned by the logical positivist
framework increased. During the 1970s there was relentless criticism of the quantitative revolution in
spatial science, not only by some Anglo-American geographers (see Section 2.2.3), but also by some
South African academics. A number of academics (Beavon & Rogerson 1981; Crush 1993; Nicolau &
Davis 2002; Ramutsindela 2002; Rogerson & Browett 1986; Rogerson & Parnell 1989; Soni 1992)
were concerned that research done within the logical positivist framework seemed to accept the status
quo concerning the structures created by apartheid, but ignored the spatial outcomes of apartheid that
affected the country’s black majority. According to Lammas (1992), the logical positivist framework
still had a stranglehold on South African geography because the researchers felt safer working within
this framework instead of venturing into new perspectives. The logical positivist framework has also
been criticised for its technicist approach to research that helps to maintain the status quo with regards
to environmental problems (Fien 1993; Huckle 1993).
Wesso (1994) is critical of positivist researchers in South African geography. He argues that the
oppressed were not given a voice to articulate their problems and geography underpinned by the logical
positivist framework, promoted the interest of whites but excluded the concerns of the oppressed.
Additionally, Ramutsindela (2001; 2002) is critical of Eurocentric approaches and the application of
inappropriate models to explain South African problems during the 1970s. Crush (1993: 62), cited in
Nicolau & Davis (2002), regards this as “… a thoroughly colonial sense that imported theories and
methodologies are inherently and necessarily superior.”
However, there were marked changes in the South African geography discipline during the 1980s,
which were part of the process of decolonizing local geography (Wellings & McCarthy 1983;
Ramutsindela 2002). Wellings & McCarthy (1983) and Nicolau & Davis (2002) noted an increase in
the literature on poverty and injustice in the 1980s, but they recommended that South African
geographers should confront the problem of praxis. Changes in the geography discipline within the
South African context have been attributed to both external and internal factors (Nicolau & Davis 2002;
42
Ramutsindela 2002). The external factor relates to the impact of South Africans who trained overseas.
Some of them introduced radical Marxist ideas into the local geography when they returned to South
Africa. The second factor relates to the internal struggle for democracy that had reached its peak during
the 1980s. This provided fertile ground for radical geography to thrive within a small group of
geographers. Furthermore, geographers now had a holistic worldview in their study of the problem of
inequality in the urban areas. They developed the concept of the apartheid city, which has become
popular both locally and internationally in the analysis of urban structure (Christopher 2002; Nicolau &
Davis 2002; Ramutsindela 2002).
Soni (1991), cited in Magi et al (2002), lobbied for the increased adoption of critical geography. He
recommended that researchers should apply democratic processes in their practices and relationships
with the participants. He also called for research that empowers the participants not only to identify and
articulate their problems, but to find solutions as well. Wesso (1994) supports Soni (1991) in calling for
a radically transformed geography in line with the rapid transformation within South African society in
the early 1990s. According to him, academics needed to do away with a geography that was socially
constructed to serve the interests of the empire, capital and apartheid. He wanted to see a situation in
which the people who were formerly oppressed would become geographically empowered.
Some academics (Maharaj 2002; Ramutsindela 2002; Simon 1994; Wesso 1994) have called for South
African geographers to focus more on Africa and to interact more with their African counterparts. They
feel that South African geographers need to continue to decolonize their mentalities and become more
independent of Anglophone perspectives. Ramutsindela (2002) notes that South African geographers
hardly have any research interests in Southern Africa or the rest of the continent. Simon (1994) argues
that geographers from outside the African continent appear to be showing more interest in Southern
Africa than local geographers. Ramutsindela (2002: 9) puts this succinctly in his argument that:
A successful de-colonization process also requires the linking of South Africa and Africa,
and the wider South … even more worrying is the continued failure of many local
geographers to appreciate material from African studies and associated journals.
Mather (2007) counters this challenge with an observation that there has been some response to the
calls for decolonization of South African geography because local universities have established links
with departments of some universities in Southern Africa. The links involve assistance in training
members of staff and collaboration in research. Despite the criticisms noted earlier, Ramutsindela
(2002) observes that local researchers are becoming more relevant in their research and are engaged in
searching for suitable methodologies for analyzing policy issues.
43
Two different research traditions emerged in response to the call to decolonize South African research
(Mather 2007). The first tradition adopted a historical perspective to reveal the effect of apartheid
policies on the lives of black South Africans. The research was often interdisciplinary, empirical and
involved the use of state archives and other historical collections to reconstruct apartheid geographies
(Lester 2003; Maylam 1995). The second research tradition engaged in day-to-day struggles of black
South Africans to obtain services such as transport and housing in ‘white cities.’ These researchers also
studied black political activism through participation in trade union activity and in political parties
(Mather 2007).
The change from apartheid to democracy rule in the 1990s resulted in a shift from ‘geographies of
protest’ to ‘geographies of reconstruction and development’ (Mather 2007; Nicolau & Davis 2002).
Some academics, either within institutions or as consultants, now focused on research that could assist
in policy formulation. Examples of such research relate to spatial planning with respect to local
economic development, urban planning, tourism development, migration and small enterprise
development (Rogerson & Robinson 1999). Magi et al (2002) mention the role played by academics
working in the post-apartheid era who critically analyse the socio-economic and socio-spatial impacts
of neo-liberal economic policies such as Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR).
South African geographers are increasingly addressing environmental issues in their research. The next
two sections provide some illustrations. Environmental issues are being addressed through integrated
geography and the environmental management field.
2.5.2.2 Integrated geography in South Africa
Vogel (1992) attributes the failure of geographers to tackle environmental issues to the ‘insulation and
poor communication’ between human and physical geography specialists. She reiterates the call made
earlier by Stoddart (1986) for geographers to engage in the integrated or human-environment approach
to the study of environmental problems. Archer & Dodson (1997) agree with Vogel’s observation and
suggest that South African geography should become post-paradigmatic or postmodern so as to base the
integration of the discipline on these perspectives. A post-paradigmatic or postmodernist discourse
would then underpin the broader, integrated discipline.
In response to relentless criticism of geography’s diverging sub-disciplines, physical geography in

South Africa has followed current global trends (see Section 2.4) in that it has shifted towards
integrated and applied studies (Barnard 2001; Oelofse & Scot 2002). Nevertheless, Meadows (2007)
urges academics to continue to engage with the philosophical issues that underpin physical geography.
According to Vogel (1992: 177), a number of geography frontiers can be tackled using the integrated or
44
human-environment approach such as: “the environmental impacts of mining; land degradation;
assessment of historical antecedents to current environmental problems; the link between deforestation,
denudation, erosion, and development strategies; the sustainable development of natural resources;
climate impact; and environmental hazards of the city.” At the University of Cape Town, physical
geographers engage in interdisciplinary research as they tackle issues such as “the impacts of regional
climate change, land degradation, disaster risk mitigation, urban ecosystems, rural livelihoods and
vulnerability, coastal environmental management and sustainability” (Meadows 2007: 132). According
to Meadows, there is a need to understand how the physical environment functions and how people
influence these processes. Using the integrated discipline (see Section 2.4), physical geographers can
produce knowledge which is likely to improve people’s understanding of the physical environment and
how to manage the impact of development programmes. This could go a long way towards reducing
endemic poverty in Africa (Meadows 2007).
2.5.2.3 The role of the environmental management field in South African geography
This section draws heavily on Oelofse & Scott’s (2002) article on the contribution of the environmental
management field in addressing environmental problems. After reviewing research done between 1992
and 2002, Oelofse & Scott (2002) note an increase in the number of South African geographers
focusing on environmental problems. Davies (2001) cited in Oelofse & Scott (2002: 38), defines
environmental management as “a set of applied activities designed to manage relationships in the
environment and particularly those which arise from problematic interventions of humans.” The
environmental management field is linked to geography in that it explains the relationship between
people and the environment. Oelofse & Scott (2002: 38) argue that human-nature relationships connect
the sub-disciplines of geography. Thus, geography plays an important role in the implementation of
environmental management because “the theory, concepts and skills of geography form an important
foundation for environmental management.” According Oelofse & Scott (2002) an integrated approach
(see Section 2.4) that unites physical geography and human geography can be based on sustainability,
environmentalism and environmental management. This idea was earlier promoted by Preston-Whyte
(1983), who maintained that environmentalism is the missing link or the uniting paradigm between
human and physical geography sub-disciplines (see also Section 2.6.5.5). Oelofse & Scott (2002)
identify a number of themes dealing with environmental management that have been tackled by South
African geographers such as:
 Debates on the meaning and applicability of the concept of sustainable development in the South
African context;
 The development and implementation of the environmental management policy;
 The application of GIS in the analysis of environmental problems;
45
 Gender issues in environmental management;

 The development of sustainable cities;
 Food security, rural livehoods and the environment;
 Global warming, climate change, drought and coping strategies;
 Formal and informal environmental education;
 Land degradation and soil erosion.
However, Oelofse & Scott (2002), criticize physical geographers for working within the natural science
tradition and marginalizing the human agent. They also argue that the approach used in environmental
management is uncritical of the role of capitalism as the main cause of poverty and environmental
degradation. The uncritical attitude could also be attributed to the positivist framework within which
some geographers often work, which tends to maintain the status quo (see also section 2.2.4). A further
point of criticism by these authors is the lack of research on the role of the industrial sector and the
gender perspective in environmental management.
Perspectives on academic geography discussed in Sections 2.2 and 2.5 above, affected both the content
and pedagogical approaches of school geography. The focus now turns to geographical education.
2.6 GEOGRAPHICAL EDUCATION
The first part of the review deals with developments in school geography in England. This approach is
followed because South African school geography is rooted in British geography as a result of
colonization as observed in Section 2.5. The last part traces the history of the South African school
geography up to the current period.
2.6.1 Paradigms and the history of geographical education
According to Marsden (2001) cited by Stoltman (2006), during the early stages of the
institutionalization of school geography in the late 1800s to early 1900s, the nature of geography was
widely criticized for concentrating on facts about places. This was the ‘Capes and Bays’ geography
(Biddle 1985; Walford 2000). The pedagogical approach is likely to have been transmissive as well as
teacher-centred and the students were treated like empty vessels which had to be filled with knowledge.
The left side of Figure 2.1 illustrates this teacher-centred approach characterized by reception learning
and minimal student activity. The students memorized facts and then regurgitated them during an
examination.
46
There were suggestions that schools should implement approaches that cultivate observational skills in
students. Such skills would enable them to gather information through fieldwork, analyze it and then
draw conclusions that enable them to generalize through inductive reasoning. A concentric syllabus
(from the known to the unknown) was also proposed where students studied the home area first and
then moved to areas further away from their homes (Kent 2002; Marsden 1996; Stoltman 2006).
According to Stoltman (2006) the concentric approach became a popular curriculum model
internationally. The ‘Capes and Bays’ geography phase was followed by the adoption of the regional
concept but the emphasis in the syllabus was still on the concentric approach (Biddle 1985; Fitzgerald
1973; Naish 2000; Thomas 1973).
The early implementation of the regional concept in school geography was based on environmental
determinism (see Section 2.2.1) because there was an emphasis on causal relationships between the
physical and the human environment (Biddle 1985; Marsden 1996; Thomas 1973). According to
Herbertson’s approach27, the physical and biological elements of the region were tackled first, followed
by a study of the human responses to the physical environment. The learning of facts in the ‘Capes and
Bays’ geography shifted to learning and memorization of facts and figures on specific regions in cases
where the teachers were not well trained in the analytic method28 that had been proposed (Fitzgerald
1973; Smith 2002). The Herbertson’s approach was the most dominant in school geography up to the
1950s (Biddle 1985). A number of factors explain this dominance. First, the requirements of the
examination encouraged a stereotyped approach to regional studies. Second, the teachers were trained
within the regional geography framework. Third, there was a perception among teachers that, with
regards to methodology and lesson preparation, it was easier to teach regional geography (Fitzgerald
1973). Fourth, many resources were available in the form of textbooks structured according to
Herbertson’s approach (Biddle 1985). Possibilism was later introduced into the study of regions in the
idea of the geographical region. Proponents of this perspective, such as Unstead,29 suggested that
natural and human elements of the environment should be treated equally in the study of regions in
school geography.
Three viewpoints or paradigms were identified during the 1970s in school geography: the spatial
science; human-environment; and the regional approach. Teachers were advised to choose a specific
viewpoint to guide them in designing syllabuses so as to achieve the aims of the geography course
(Graves 1982). Biddle (1985) commended the Australian practice in which teachers were enlightened
27
Herbertson, Andrew John (1865-1915) developed the analytical approach to the study of the concept of natural regions on which the school
geography was based from 1900 to the 1950s (Biddle 1985).
28
The analytical approach viewed the world as consisting of natural regions which could be analysed, compared and contrasted in terms of
variations in relief and structure, temperature and rainfall, and soil and vegetation, which controlled human activities (Herbertson 1965).
29
Unstead, John Frederick (1876-1965) proposed the synthetic regionalization method (Biddle 1985).
47
about the nature of different paradigms used in geographical research. The teachers could then use this
knowledge to design syllabuses. This approach could be used in other countries to increase the teachers’
awareness of the implications of these paradigms on the nature of school geography, content and
pedagogical approaches.
The adoption of the spatial science perspective in school geography resulted in increased fieldwork in
the study of the local environment around the schools (Robinson 1985). Morgan & Lambert (2005)
observe that school geography still retains some features of the logical positivist approach where pupils
test hypotheses, produce quantitative data using surveys and manipulate the data to arrive at
generalizations.
Behavioural geography coexisted with spatial science in school geography for some time. It introduced
the role of individual perception and decision-making in explaining the distribution of economic
activities (Morgan & Lambert 2005). Humanistic geography, which emphasizes the importance of
human thoughts and feelings, also grew during this period. Classroom work based on humanistic
geography focuses on the student’s experience of the local area. Robinson (1985: 39) observes that
humanistic geography “adds a dimension to studies by bringing classroom learning into the ‘real’ world
of students’ experience and minds.” Morgan & Lambert (2005) add that the humanistic framework can
enable geography teachers to assist students not only to understand themselves but also to understand
their environment.
Huckle (1997), one of the proponents of radical geography30, criticized the dominance of the logical
positivist paradigm in school geography on the grounds that it maintains the status quo (see also
Sections 2.2.4 and 2.5.2.1). The implication is that geography teachers should adopt critical or radical
geography with an emancipatory agenda. According to Morgan (2002), critical geography education
has a number of features. Besides being critical of positivism, it promotes values education (see Section
3.3.6), which helps students to become sensitive and aware of the nature of attitudes and values of
decision-makers whose decisions impact negatively on the environment. Additionally, the students are
likely to learn to personally reflect on their own values and to clarify them as observed by Tilbury
(1997). The pedagogical approaches used are progressive, learner-centred and attempt to empower
students to think critically. The teachers use critical social theory, for example feminism, neo-Marxism
and environmentalism to plan lessons (Morgan 2002), which aims to promote social justice, equity and
a good environmental ethic.
30
According to Morgan (2002), other references to radical geography include “geography as emancipation”, which is differentiated from
“geography as technical control”, based on the logical positivist paradigm and “geography as mutual understanding” underpinned by the
interpretivist framework. These distinctions were proposed by Johnston (1986). Walford (1981) and Fien (1999) cited by Morgan (2002) refer
to “geography for social reconstruction” and “socially critical geography education” respectively.
48
Storm (1971), cited in Robinson (1985), suggests that radical geography, with its emphasis on action-
orientated and socially concerned attitudes, could provide a framework for teaching environmental
education in school geography. Furthermore, the issues-based approach and focus on poverty and
underdevelopment in human geography at school level have developed because of the influence of
radical geography. Unfortunately, radical geography and critical geography in general had the least
influence on school geography (Morgan 2002), because teachers feared being labelled by the
government as being subversive.
The Schools Council Geography 16-19 project in England is based on a variety of perspectives –
positivist, humanist and radical versions of geography in the formulation of A-level syllabuses (Naish et
al 1987). This is covered in greater detail in Section 2.6.4.
2.6.2 School geography and environmental education
According to Marsden (1997), the contribution of school geography to environmental education was
minimal in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A similar observation has been made concerning academic
geography in general with regards to addressing the impacts of human-environment interactions (see
also Section 2.3). Other low status subjects in the school curriculum such as environmental studies and
rural studies contributed more to environmental education than geography (Goodson 1993) (see also
Section 3.3.1). It was observed that “British geography educationists, in their methodological texts and
through their writings and lectures for the Geographical Association, paid scant attention to their
subject’s potential for conservation education” (Marsden 1997: 16).
Bednarz (2006) states that there was a consensus during 1990s that American school geography has two
perspectives; the spatial and ecological perspectives. The ecological perspective can provide a basis for
incorporating environmental concerns into the teaching and learning of geography at school level.
However, a limitation of this perspective is that it could promote a narrow perspective of the meaning
EE and ESD as mainly focusing on the study of problems affecting the biophysical environment and
pay scant attention to the human dimension.
According to Stoltman (2006), towards the end of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century,
interest in environmental issues increased and the role of geography in education for responsible
citizenship was reconsidered. Additionally, more researchers began to tackle human-environment issues
in the school geography curriculum. These changes have been associated with an increase in the EE and
ESD content in school geography curricula so as to provide the students with the knowledge, skills,
attitudes and values required for sustainable living. Can the place of geography in the school curriculum
be justified?
49
According to Boardman (1986), geography has special and general contributions to the aims of
education. Students gain knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that are likely to contribute to the
general aims of education (see Box 2.1) (Boardman 1986; IGU-CGE 1992; Pinchemel 1982).
2.6.3 The place of geography in the curriculum
The teaching of geography imparts a number of values to students. Pinchemel (1982) divides values of
geography education into two categories: the absolute value, which is intrinsic in geography as a
discipline of the mind; and, the relative value, which arises from geography’s association with other
subjects. Students gain the latter from learning geography either separately or through an integrated
programme in natural or social sciences. Geography also teaches attitudes and values (see Box 2.1). The
discussion of social and environmental issues can influence student’s attitudes and values required for
them to lead sustainable lifestyles. They also learn about the attitudes and values of decision-makers on
the location of industrial activities that adversely affect the quality of the environment (Boardman 1986;
IGU-CGE 1992; Pinchemel 1982).
Geography education has relative value in a number of ways (Pinchemel 1982). The collection,
recording and analysis of data enables the student’s learning to be contextualized in his/her
environment. Students may learn the complexity of interrelationships between human and natural
phenomena. They are likely to understand their habitats much better, including the human-induced
problems experienced in the home area as well as in distant regions (see Box 2.1). The teaching of
cultural geography enables them to appreciate the variety of people’s cultural and technological
achievements imprinted on the landscape (Boardman 1986; Pinchemel 1982). This should teach them to
accept different civilizations to the dominant Western one. Furthermore, the concept of time and space
is likely to teach students the idea of the evolution of situations that involve duration and trends.
Students are also likely to learn about the interdependence of different nations (Pinchemel 1982).
Boardman (1986) observes that geography teaches students many facts about the home area and other
distant places, as summarized in Box 2.1. They will know where countries are located and be able to
find the location of places within them. Factual knowledge helps them to contextualize information on
events obtained through the media. Geography enables the students to organize the vast amount of
information from the media into a coherent whole. The factual knowledge which students acquire from
learning geography forms a basis for understanding general ideas, which will enable them to understand
the world around them. These general ideas are built on the understanding of basic concepts that relate
to the location of phenomena in space and the relationship between people and their environment. As
they grasp new ideas, students are likely to apply their previous experiences to new situations
(Boardman 1986).
50
One of the skills developed through learning geography is graphicacy (Balchin 1972; Williams &
Catling 1985). Graphicacy is the ability to understand and present information in the form of sketches,
photographs, diagrams, maps, plans, charts, graphs and other non-textual, two-dimensional formats31
(Aldrich & Sheppard 2000). It is concerned with “the understanding and communication of spatial
information that cannot be conveyed adequately by verbal or numerical means” (Boardman 1986: 15).
In addition to the enhancement of graphicacy skills, geography, in association with other subjects, can
develop literacy, oracy and numeracy skills (see Box 2.1). The subject provides prospects for students
to practice their literacy skills through reading a wide range of geography textbooks, analyzing
photographs, diagrams and other illustrations. The subject can enhance oracy or the use of spoken
language as a result of discussions in the lessons. The students’ writing skills are likely to improve as
they do a large variety of written assignments (Boardman 1986).
School geography can be one of the most effective vehicles for teaching EE and ESD because it deals
with the impacts of human-environment interactions and on how to address them (see also section
3.3.6). The guidelines on the aims of geography education provided by the International Charter on
Geographical Education (IGU-CGE 1992) present more opportunities for incorporating environmental
concerns in the geography curriculum because of suggestions that geography should impart knowledge
about natural and human systems together with their interactions. The Lucerne Declaration on
Geographical Education for Sustainable Development, produced by IGU-CGE (Haubrich, Reinfried &
Schleicher 2007), clarifies the contribution of geography to ESD (see also Section 3.3.6). Knowledge of
the interaction between natural and human systems is likely to promote an understanding of the causes
of environmental issues and how they can be managed.
In the guidelines on the aims of geography education provided in the International Charter on
Geographical Education (IGU-CGE 1992), there is a greater focus on the development of skills,
attitudes and values than in the 1980s school geography, described by Boardman (1986) and Pinchemel
(1982). Additionally, concerns about human rights are included. These concerns can be addressed by
incorporating ESD in the geography curriculum. ESD is concerned with not only the protection of the
environment through the development of positive attitudes and values, but also with addressing issues
of poverty, inequality and human rights (Gough 2006a) (see Section 1.1.5).
31
The information conveyed can be directly representative of what we see (as in photographs or drawings) or more abstract - for example
information which is spatial (as in maps, plans and diagrams) or numerical (as in tables and graphs) (Aldrich & Sheppard 2000).
51
Box 2.1
THE AIMS OF GEOGRAPHICAL EDUCATION
Knowledge and understanding of

1. locations and places in order to set national and international events within a geographical framework and
to understand basic spatial relationships;
2. the characteristics and distribution of a selection of contrasting physical and human environments;
3. the spatial effects of the ways in which people interact with each other and with their environments;
4. different communities and cultures within our own society and elsewhere in the world, together with an
awareness of people’s active role in interacting with environments and the opportunities and constraints
those different people face in their different environments;
5. major natural systems of the Earth (landforms, soils, water bodies, climate, vegetation) in order to
understand the processes and interaction within and between ecosystems;
6. major socio-economic systems of the Earth (agriculture, settlement, transport, industry, trade, energy,
population and others) in order to achieve a sense of place. This involves understanding the impact of
natural conditions on human activities on the one hand, and the different ways of creating environments
according to differing cultural values, religious beliefs, technical, economic and political systems on the
other; and
7. structure and processes of the home region and country as daily action space; and the challenges of, and
opportunities for, global interdependence.
Skills such as
1. those associated with the observation, collection, representation, analysis, interpretation and use of data,
including tables, graphs, diagrams, maps, pictures and photographs developed through practical work,
including investigations in the field;
2. the ability to identify questions and issues; process data; evaluate data; develop generalisations; make
judgments; make decisions; solve problems through a process of enquiry;
3. the use of communication, thinking, practical and social skills to explore geographical topics in a range of
scales from local to international;
4. the development of literacy, oracy, numeracy and graphicacy in association with other subjects; and,
5. personal social competence, particularly with regard to the spatial dimension of daily life.
Attitudes and Values related to

1. encouraging an appreciation of the significance of attitudes and values of those who make decisions about
the management of the environment and the use of terrestrial space;
2. interest in their surroundings and in the variety of natural and human characteristics on the surface of the
Earth;
3. appreciation of the beauty of the physical world and of the different living conditions of people;
4. concern for the quality and planning of the environment and human habitat for future generations;
5. readiness to use geographical knowledge and skills adequately and responsibly in private, professional and
public life; and
6. respect for the rights of all people to equality; and dedication to seeking solutions to local, regional, national
and international problems on the basis of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
Adapted from DES (1985) cited in Boardman (1986: 21) and the International
Charter on Geographical Education (IGU-CGE 1992).
52
The International Charter on Geographical Education (IGU-CGE 1992) also includes suggestions about
confronting the current trends towards increased international linkages or globalization issues in
geography education, which were excluded in the 1980s geography. Box 2.1 illustrates that geography
education should teach knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to enable the students to lead more
sustainable lifestyles. The students should also be able to understand the nature of human-environment
interactions and be able to take action aimed at resolving environmental problems.
The changing paradigms in school geography (see Section 2.6.1) were associated with changes in
pedagogical approaches used by teachers in the classroom. These pedagogical approaches range from
teacher-centred didactic instruction to learner-centred approaches (Tabulawa 1997).
2.6.4 Pedagogical approaches used in school geography
Rawling (1986) and Naish, Rawling & Hart (2002) view teaching and learning strategies as a
continuum ranging from teacher-centred to learner-centred methods, as illustrated in Figure 2.1.
Reduced student activity and reception learning to the left of the diagram characterize teacher-centred
approaches such as exposition and narration. The students depend too much on the teacher.
STUDENT LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Reception Problem solving Open-ended Creative

learning Hypothesis testing discovery activity
Increasing student autonomy
Exposition and Provides structure Provides advice about Offers

narration for enquiry and methods structure and is available encouragement
of investigation for consultation and support but
no direction
TEACHER ACTIVITIES
Fig 2.1 Teaching-learning continuum (Rawling 1986)
According to Morgan & Lambert (2005: 98), the pedagogical approaches to the left of the diagram are
reminiscent of Freire’s (1972) banking model where:
 The teacher teaches and the students are taught.

 The teacher knows a great deal and the students know a little.
 The teacher thinks and the students are thought about.
 The teacher talks and the students listen.
 The teacher chooses and enforces his or her choice and the students comply.
53
 The teacher chooses the course content and the students (who were not consulted) adapt it.
 The teacher is the subject of the learning process, while the students are the objects.
Towards the centre of the diagram (Figure 2.1), students engage in guided discovery where the role of
the teacher is to direct student activities towards predetermined outcomes. The activities and student
autonomy increase, the teacher is less dominant but still exercises a certain degree of control.
Towards the right of the diagram the teacher offers less direction, he/she encourages the students to be
more creative. Teacher activity is minimal whereas the students do most of the work. The lessons are
learner-centred. Approaches in the centre and right of the diagram (Figure 2.1) are ideal for the
implementation of EE and ESD incorporated in school geography (see also Section 3.3.6). Lambert &
Balderstone (2000), recommends an approach in which learning plays a greater role in the teaching and
learning equation, for example in enquiry-based teaching and learning.
The enquiry-based teaching and learning programme for 16-19 year olds in English secondary schools
provides an example of increased student activity, autonomy and reduced teacher dominance
(Boardman 1986; Naish, Rawling & Hart 2002). The enquiry-based approach is defined by Cox (1984:
88), cited in Winter (1992: 142), as facilitating learning that “involves finding an answer to a question
or the resolution of a problem. Inquiring is a state of mind which may be satisfied by numerous learning
experiences.” Winter explains that for inquiry learning to take place, the student must be presented with
a problem, an issue or a question. He defines enquiry-based learning as: “A learning process involving
the investigation of a question, a problem or an issue in which the interrelationship between people and
the environment is studied” (Winter 1992: 142). Inquiry learning has the following features:
 it identifies questions, issues and problems as the starting points for enquiry;
 it involves students as active participants in a sequence of meaningful learning through enquiry;
 it provides opportunities for the development of a wide range of skills and abilities (intellectual,
social, practical and communication);
 it presents opportunities for fieldwork and classroom work to be closely integrated;
 it provides possibilities for open-ended enquiry in which attitudes and values may be clarified, and
an open interchange of ideas and opinions can take place;
 it provides scope for an effective balance of both teacher-directed work and more independent
student enquiry; and,
 it assists in the development of political literacy such that students gain an understanding of the
social environment and how to participate in it.
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According to Boardman (1986), enquiry-based learning falls in the centre of the teaching-learning
continuum (Figure 2.1). Naish et al (1987) observed that enquiry-based learning has a people-
environment approach in which students and teachers investigate the social and environmental issues.
Hanley et al (1970), cited in Winter (1992: 143), presents a number of objectives of the enquiry-based
learning process:
 to initiate and develop a process of question-posing in youngsters;

 to teach a research methodology where students can look for information to answer the questions
they have raised, use the framework developed in the course, and apply it to new areas;
 to help youngsters to develop the ability to use a variety of firsthand sources as evidence from
which to develop hypotheses and draw conclusions;
 to conduct classroom discussions in which youngsters learn to listen to others as well as to express
their own views;
 to give sanction and support to open-ended discussions where definitive answers to many questions
are not found;
 to encourage students to reflect on their own experiences; and,
 to encourage the role of the teacher as resource manager rather than as an authority.
The enquiry-based approach is one of the most effective strategies through which geography teachers
can impart geographical knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in students (Ballantyne 1986) when they
teach EE and ESD through the geography curriculum.
After an issue or an environmental problem has been identified, Naish, Rawling & Hart (2002: 65-66)
suggest that a sequence of enquiry activities can be followed; definition, description, analysis,
explanation, evaluation, prediction, generalization, decision-making, personal evaluation and judgement
and personal response. This means that students initially describe the background to the issue and then
examine the causes of the issue and processes involved in the development of the problem. It is
important to scrutinize the following: alternative viewpoints and possible solutions; what might happen
and with what impacts; and, ways of assessing the impacts. The students then focus on possible
decisions and their impacts. They question themselves on their role as individuals in the decision-
making process and what personally motivates them to make specific decisions. Finally, they may
decide as individuals how they can respond and whether they should take action on the issue.
Boardman (1986) argues that the enquiry-based learning programme creates opportunities for values
education. Teaching of facts only through transmissive approaches in geography may not lead to
changes in attitudes and values towards the environment (see also section 3.3.6). The enquiry-based
55
learning programme provides the conditions for teaching geography that creates awareness of the nature
of attitudes and values of decision-makers. It also provides an opportunity for students to clarify their
own values. Boardman further observes that approaches from the middle and right of the continuum
diagram (Figure 2.1) can be used to develop activities that increase student’s skills in values enquiry.
However, Fien (1999: 145) criticises enquiry-based learning on the grounds that the approach fails “to
adequately emphasise skills of social analysis, political literacy and action competence.”
In order to achieve the aims and objectives of teaching EE and ESD through school geography, the
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) (1988: 46) also recommended the use of the enquiry-based
method described above. Teachers are advised to use “teaching/learning processes which recognise
young people as active rather than passive participants” such as problem-solving and enquiry-based
methods. WWF also advised that the teaching and learning programmes should increase opportunities
for students to “carry out practical investigations, to explore and express ideas, to apply ideas and skills
to new situations … and to reflect on their own and other people’s attitudes and values.”
South African school geography changed from the “Capes and Bays” Eurocentric content according to
developments in British academic and school geography. With time, more local and African content
was incorporated in the syllabuses. The focus now turns to geographical education in South Africa.
2.6.5 Geographical education in South Africa
Teachers have grappled with the problem of shifting from examination-oriented teacher-centred
approaches towards learner-centred approaches. Environmental education gradually became
incorporated into the syllabuses over time, especially after democracy rule.
2.6.5.1 Geography education in the colony
Geography was first officially taught in schools in the Cape Colony in the 19th century and by the early
1900s, most primary and secondary schools throughout the country had introduced the subject
(Ballantyne 1986; Cowie 1997; Wesso & Parnell 1992). According to Wesso (1994), South African
school geography, like academic geography, has colonial origins. Wesso & Parnell (1992) argue that
the inclusion of geography in the curriculum was part of a colonization process to incorporate colonial
settlers into the English speaking British Empire. It was believed that learning of the subject encouraged
geographical knowledge of the empire. According to Wesso (1994: 317):
56
Geography, as a school subject, was seen to be an important medium through which

imperial ideology could be inculcated in the minds of young people, and it was, therefore,
moulded to serve the needs of the colonial rulers.
Levy (1984: 54), cited by Ballantyne (1986) states that school geography consisted of ‘Capes and Bays’
teaching or descriptive geography “with conversational illustrations of the figure and motions of the
earth and its chief physical appearances and problems on the terrestrial globe and construction of
outline maps.” Physical geography was mainly taught with a limited amount of topographical human
geography following an environmental determinism conceptual framework, which supported the
colonialists’ worldview of racial superiority (Wesso 1994; Wesso & Parnell 1992) (see also Sections
2.2 and 2.6.1). According to Ballantyne (1986), the content and approach in teaching school geography
were similar in the Cape and Natal provinces. However, in the two Boer Republics of the Orange Free
State and Transvaal, the content and approach were slightly different because the education authorities
in the Boer Republics were against the dominance of regional studies about Britain and the British
colonies (Levy 1984; Wesso & Parnell 1992). As a result, they were generally slower in incorporating
geography into the school curriculum. There was a preference for history and citizenship education in
the two Boer Republics (Clark 1989). When the Union of South Africa was established in 1910, the
same core syllabus was adopted throughout the country despite the fact that secondary school education
fell under provincial government (Clark 1989).
A significant amount of research has been done on the development of South African secondary school
geography with regards to curriculum and practice since 1910 (Ballantyne 1986; Clark 1989; Cowie
1997; Knox 1958; Ledger 1978; Levy 1984; Van der Merwe 1982; Webster 1939). However, most of
the research is racially restricted to schools for ‘Whites’ (Wesso & Parnell 1992). According to the
above authors, the geography syllabuses were revised from time to time in response to academic
developments in the subject. Before 1963 the revision of the syllabuses was mainly undertaken by
education departments and did not officially involve universities (Van der Merwe 1982).
Ballantyne (1986) notes that before 1945, geography education was strongly influenced by changes in
British academic and school geography. The objectives and pedagogical approaches were influenced by
the trends and experiences in British geography until recently (Levy 1984; Nicol 1974; Van der Merwe
1982; Wesso & Parnell 1992). Syllabuses mainly covered natural regions and physical geography topics
before 1945. This was Herbertson’s approach (Wesso 1994) covered in Section 2.6.1. After 1945 the
syllabus content increasingly included African and South African topics (Van der Merwe 1982).
57
2.6.5.2 Apartheid and geography education
Education in government schools had been racially segregated since the time of the colonization of
South Africa. Clark (1989: 46) maintains that racial segregation in schools was initially applied ‘de
facto’ and then later by law. The practice of separate education for different races was based on the
Christian National philosophy of education (Ballantyne 1986; Christian National Education 1971;
Wesso 1994; Wesso & Parnell 1992). This philosophy posited that the practice of separate education for
different races was right and just, because nations and races differ in their languages, history and
political institutions (Christian National Education 1971; Wesso 1994). This practice was implemented
with the help of legal instruments such as the Bantu Education Act of 1953. The implementation of
apartheid education resulted in a fragmented structure, in which secondary school geography was
administered by 18 different departments (Ballantyne 1986). Despite the decentralized control of
education, the nature and structure of secondary school geography remained the same throughout the
country. According to Ballantyne (1986), this can be attributed to the role played by the South African
Joint Matriculation Board (JMB) in the formulation of syllabuses and control of matriculation
examination standards.
Geography was compulsory until the end of the junior secondary phase of education (Clark 1989; Nel
& Binns 1999). At senior level it was an elective subject and was included in subject packages offered
by Departments of Education in schools under their control (Ballantyne 1986). There were three
secondary school syllabuses, namely the lower, standard and higher grade, to cater for students with
differing abilities, interests and career paths. The content of these syllabuses was similar but differed in
the level of difficulty (Nightingale 1985, cited by Ballantyne 1986). Ballantyne observes that the
syllabuses were controlled by the Committee of Heads of Education (CHE) and formulated with the
assistance of university representatives and other interested people.
2.6.5.3 Apartheid and Black education
According to Wesso (1994), the Afrikaners tried to decolonize education in order to reduce British
influence on the education of their children but they re-colonized Black people at the same time through
the imposition of apartheid geography. Levy (1984) observes that the education of Blacks had initially
been left to missionaries who taught them the three Rs.32 The curriculum mainly consisted of religion,
basic skills and some handiwork (Levy 1984; Ntikinca 1996; Wesso & Parnell 1992), but Levy (1984)
notes that there were indications that some form of geography was taught. Clark (1989: 48) points out
that the introduction of geography to non-white students was hampered by “inadequate funding, a
chronic shortage of specialist teachers, a short school life, problems related to language of instruction,
32
Reading, writing and arithmetic
58
and a belief that a restricted curriculum, offering less range and depth, was more appropriate for the
‘needs’ of particular groups.”
When the nationalist government took over the education of Blacks, it offered them syllabuses
characterised by ethnocentrism or bias (Wesso & Parnell 1992). Even at university level Black students
had to contend with a geography discipline with strong ‘ideological and environmental deterministic
undertones.’ According to Wesso (1994), the use of textbooks written by White South Africans at
school level added to instilling the inferiority of Black students versus their White counterparts. Wesso
argues that this was part of the colonization of the Black student’s mind, with some academics claiming
that Black students’ experience of apartheid geography resulted in the development of negative attitudes
to the subject. This explains why the subject used to be unpopular in the Black schools
(Ballantyne1987; Magi 1981; Wesso & Parnell 1992).
Ballantyne (1986) observes that large classes and a shortage of teaching resources resulted in appalling
teaching methods in ‘Black’ schools. In a study of Black university geography students’ perception of
school geography and the geography teacher, Magi (1981) found that the high failure rate in secondary
school geography was attributed to unqualified teachers, poorly equipped schools, the poor geographic
background of students and the apparent lack of long-term planning in schools. Magi describes the
vicious circle of poor performance in which geography education in ‘Black’ schools was trapped. He
argues that “these are the fruits of the poor educational system we have, the poor system which
produces poor teachers which in turn produce poor students who become poor teachers” (Magi 1981:
150). Bloch (2009) supports this statement and urges the government to address the problems faced by
previously disadvantaged schools. A survey done by Ledger (1980) in ‘White’ schools established that
they generally had better facilities and were well equipped.
2.6.5.4 The position of geography in the secondary school curriculum
Ballantyne (1986) evaluated the status of geography in the senior secondary school curriculum by
student enrolment and subject numerical status relative to alternative subjects. He noted that between
1970 and 1980 the number of students who took geography as a matriculation subject was stable.
According to this study, one third of all “White” and “Black” secondary school students took geography
as a matriculation subject during this period. He, however, noted a decline in the number of “Coloured”
and “Asian” students who took geography as a matriculation subject. This decline was, however,
contested by the inspectorate at that time on the grounds that there could have been an error because
their experience was that geography education in the latter population group was in a healthy position
(Ballantyne 1986). Another observation was that the majority of the geography students were “White”
because they dominated in the secondary school system. It was projected that this scenario could begin
59
to change in the mid 1990s as a result of an increase in the enrolment of “Blacks” and “Coloured”
students in secondary schools as more opportunities for education opened for them. The relative
dominance of “White” students could then begin to decline. Ballantyne concluded that secondary
school geography was in a healthy position in the mid 1980s. Clark (1989: 46) agrees with Ballantyne
in the statement: “geography has an assured place in primary, secondary and tertiary education in South
Africa.”
There were calls during the 1980s for secondary school geography education in South Africa to be
utilitarian in approach and to be more technically and vocationally orientated. The implementation of
this change could have repercussions on enrolment numbers and on the healthy status of the geography
subject (Ballantyne 1986). However in the 1990s, Nel & Binns (1999: 7) were concerned about the fact
that geography was becoming less popular with students. They attributed this to “its factual difficulty,
unattractive textbooks, content overload, relatively poor examination results and the perception that
geography does not prepare them for employment.”
2.6.5.5 Changes in the geography syllabuses and examinations
The JMB core syllabuses outlined the content of the secondary school geography. Syllabuses were
revised twice between 1970 and 1985, namely in 1973 and 1983 (Ballantyne 1986). The 1967 syllabus
comprised three main sections which were taught over a two year period: Section A on the Earth as a
planet; Section B on South Africa; and Section C on Regional geography of Europe, North America,
Asia, Africa, South America and Australia. The syllabus content mainly consisted of physical and
regional geography (Ballantyne 1986). Hattingh (1971) and Nicol (1974) criticised the length of the
geography syllabuses including the ‘Caps and Bays’ approach used during the 1960s. Hattingh (1971:
32) argued that “a syllabus which is overloaded with masses of facts which have to be memorized by
students, does not offer them sufficient opportunity of arriving at independent thought by means of
explanation, deduction and interpretation.”
Revised syllabuses were put into effect between 1973 and 1974. Nicol (1974), cited by Ballantyne
(1986) observes that the salient features of the new 1973 syllabus were:
 a greater emphasis on understanding of concepts than factual information;

 increased content in systematic geography as compared to regional geography;
 only the standard 10 year of the theory section of the syllabus would be examined unlike during the
previous years when two years of theory was examined; and,
 a practical examination was introduced in standard 10.
60
The syllabus change was influenced by developments in academic geography at universities.
Dunlop (1976) observes that academic geography at that time had three characteristics: a conceptually
based theoretical approach, a behavioural bias and the use of quantitative techniques. According to
Cowie (1997), the logical positivist paradigm of the ‘new’ geography was introduced into the 1973
secondary school syllabus as a result of changes in the academic discipline. While academics welcomed
the new secondary school geography syllabus, practising teachers criticized it. The older generation of
teachers complained about the complexity of the new concepts (related to spatial analysis and
quantitative techniques), because they lacked the skills to tackle the new directions in academic
geography which had been incorporated into the new syllabus (Nicol 1974). According to Van der
Merwe (1982), teachers complained that there was no guidance and supplementary material on how to
teach the new content. Additionally, Ballantyne (1982) and Nightingale (1985) cited by Clark (1989)
point out that the degree of difficulty of the new syllabus was perceived to be too high for all
matriculants, regardless of their ability, and the syllabus did not accommodate the needs of Black
students. Additionally, the subject matter could not be easily integrated because of the systematic nature
of the syllabus (Cowie 1997). Because the amount of material that had to be taught was too voluminous,
the teachers as well as students were overburdened (Ledger 1978).
According to Ballantyne (1986), the 1983 core syllabus was introduced into schools in 1985. It included
the four main traditions of geography as noted by Pattison (1964): the man-land relationship, spatial
perspective, regional viewpoint and earth-science traditions (see Section 2.1). Ballantyne observes that
the revision of the 1973 syllabus in 1983 involved few changes in the content. One of the significant
changes was the addition of a new section on Ecosystems, environmental balance and conservation.
This marked the beginning of incorporating environmental education in the form of conservation
education in the geography syllabuses (Cowie 1997). This was a response to repeated calls by
academics and conservationists such as Hurry (1978; 1979; 1980) for geography education to address
environmental problems by integrating conservation education (also Section 3.3.7). Students were
expected to learn ecosystem concepts, ecological processes and the human impact on the ecosystem.
The quantity of information to be learned by the students was still large. There were concerns that
teachers might resort to using practices that would “promote rapid assimilation of knowledge rather
than the development of concepts, skills and attitudes” (Ballantyne 1986: 27).
Ballantyne (1986) observed that the 1973 JMB secondary school core syllabus did not incorporate aims
and objectives of geography education in order to guide the teachers. On the other hand, the 1983 JMB
secondary school core syllabus had a preamble of the general aims of geography education as well as
specific objectives of the geography content. It was thus clear to the teachers, as outlined in the aims
and objectives, that geography education aims to develop geographical concepts, skills, attitudes and
61
values in students (Ballantyne 1986). According to Ballantyne, the main goal of the syllabus was to
develop the whole student and not just to transmit geographical knowledge. The 1983 syllabus aimed to
develop the affective domain in addition to the cognitive domain (Cowie 1997). The main aims of the
1983 JMB secondary school core syllabus were that students should:
 acquire and develop intellectual skills and abilities which will encourage on-going education;
 adjust to a society that is undergoing rapid and far-reaching social, economic and political change;
 enter the world-of-work that is becoming increasingly more technologically orientated; and,
 develop their moral and emotional (affective) attributes (JMB core syllabus guide for geography,
Standard 8, 9 and 10. 1983: 2-3, cited by Ballantyne 1986: 29).
Furthermore, the aims promoted a subject that had shifted from concern with factual knowledge to the
understanding of concepts. Ballantyne (1986) perceives a move from teacher-centred to student-centred
pedagogical approaches. The utilitarian aim in the syllabus is in line with popular thinking concerning
the value of education during that time (Human Sciences Research Council 1981).
Ballantyne (1986) observes that knowledge, skills, perception and appraisal are the four major
categories of the objectives of the 1983 secondary school geography syllabus. He argues that:
Knowledge presented to students must be meaningful and useful and should not be taught
as an academic exercise but applied to everyday situations. Students must be made aware
of the links that geography has with other subjects and develop an appreciation of the unity
of knowledge (Ballantyne 1986: 29).
Moreover, students should be able to transfer the skills learnt to new situations. Perception objectives
are related to awareness of environment and consequent development of attitudes, values and
behaviour. Appraisal is the development of specific attitudes and values based on geographical and
environmental concepts (Ballantyne 1986).
However, Preston-Whyte (1983) and Meadows (1985) were critical of the systematic approach
followed in the 1973 and 1983 syllabuses. The systematic approach deals with certain aspects of
geography separately and in depth (Castree 2009), for example climatology, biogeography and
geomorphology in physical geography and agriculture, population studies and settlement in human
geography. The use of the systematic approach undermines the effective teaching and learning of
human-environment relations due to the fact that different aspects of geography are taught separately. It
is therefore challenging to tackle environmental issues in school geography education because the
students are not likely to understand the causes of such issues when the teaching and learning
62
programmes follow the systematic approach. Preston-Whyte (1983) and Meadows (1985) suggested the
adoption of the environmental paradigm to unify the physical and human geography topics in the
syllabus. According to Preston-Whyte (1983), environmental issues can be addressed more successfully
because an integrated approach or the environmental paradigm enhances the understanding of human-
environment relations (see also Sections 2.3, 2.4, 2.5.2.2 and 2.5.2.3).
Despite the gradual shift towards the teaching and learning of geographical concepts, skills, attitudes
and values, Levy (1984), cited in Ballantyne, found that between 1926 and 1980 the secondary school
geography matriculation examination mainly tested factual information on the regional content of the
syllabus. After 1975 there was a noticeable shift towards the testing of translation,33 interpretation34 and
application35. Levy did not find any evidence, however, of questions testing students’ ability to analyze,
synthesize and evaluate information. Levy (1984) was concerned that the majority of the examination
questions required knowledge of a specific content of the syllabus. She attributed this observation to the
contribution of the most widely used textbooks which largely contained factual information. There was
a tendency towards textbook-based teaching and for examiners to test the content found in the
textbooks. According to Ballantyne (1986), the approach followed in some textbooks does not facilitate
the development of concepts, skills, attitudes and values in students due to an overemphasis on facts.
2.6.5.6 Teaching practice
Ballantyne (1986) argued that as syllabuses and examinations change in secondary school geography,
teachers should employ pedagogical approaches that best promote the development of students’
concepts, skills, attitudes and values. According to him, teachers were introduced to pedagogical
approaches that actively involved students in problem solving and decision-making through in-service
courses in the 1970s. Examples of such methodologies include discovery worksheets, simulation games,
role plays and the use of models. These learner-centred approaches have been recommended for
implementing EE and ESD in the teaching and learning programmes. Teachers were also encouraged to
use more fieldwork, statistical diagrams and visual material (Ballantyne 1986), but a study conducted
by Levy (1980) established that teachers in both ‘Black’ and ‘White’ schools had difficulties in
conducting fieldwork. According to Levy (1984), in-service courses were more successful in improving
the teachers’ content knowledge of the ‘new’ geography. Despite attending in-service courses designed
to teach methodology, the teachers were rather slow or seemingly resistant to the use of student-centred
practices (Levy 1984). The 1983 JMB core syllabus contained a section on guidelines for methodology
to benefit teachers. The syllabus recommended inquiry-based (see Section 2.6.4) and student-centred
33
use of student’s own words to state knowledge (Ballantyne 1986: 31)
34
giving reasons and evidence of understanding cause-effect relationships (Ballantyne 1986: 31)
35
applying knowledge to a new situation (Ballantyne 1986: 31)
63
approaches, such as the use of aerial photos, maps, satellite images, statistical diagrams, quantitative
techniques, fieldwork and research techniques (Ballantyne 1986). The focus now turns to curriculum
change in post-apartheid South Africa.
The foregoing discussion has shown that Apartheid education was characterized by “among other
things, major inequalities, high drop-out rates and failure rates, relatively poorly qualified teachers,
examination-orientedness with major emphasis on learning by rote and unimaginative teaching
methods” (Steyn & Wilkinson 1998: 203). These problems were mainly experienced in previously
disadvantaged schools. The new democratic government therefore, felt obliged to transform the
education system in order to redress the apartheid legacy (Botha 2002; Du Plessis 2005; Mokhaba 2004;
Sedibe 1998; Spady & Schlebusch 1999; Steyn & Wilkinson 1998). The next section will cover
education reform in post-apartheid South Africa.
2.7 CURRICULUM CHANGE IN POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA
In an effort to reform education and training, the new government radically changed apartheid
education and replaced it with an Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) model (see also Section 1.2.2).
This ushered in new curricula at various levels of the basic education system – the GET band (Grades
R-9) and the FET band (Grades 10-12).
2.7.1 The national curriculum statement (NCS)
According to the Department of Education (2003a), the NCS Grades 10-12 (General) is a policy
document that guides teaching and learning in the FET band. The NCS provides an outline of the
knowledge, skills and values that should be learned. It consists of different subject policy statements,
including geography. Additionally, it is based on principles derived from the Constitution of the
Republic of South Africa (1996) and the Manifesto on Values, Education and Democracy (2001). These
principles include “democracy, human rights, social justice, equity, non-racism, non-sexism, and
ubuntu.” (Department of Education 2003a: 1).
The following principles form the basis of the NCS:
 social transformation;
 outcomes-based education;
 high knowledge and high skills;
 integration and applied competence;
 progression;
64
 articulation and portability;

 human rights, inclusivity, environmental and social justice;
 valuing indigenous knowledge systems; and,
 credibility, quality and efficiency (Department of Education 2003a: 7).
According to the Department of Education (2003a), the NCS at FET level is offered only in schools
where students obtain a general education organized into subjects. The NCS’s basis on OBE means that
learning in the FET band is geared towards the achievement of “generic and cross-curricular” outcomes,
referred to as critical and developmental outcomes. The teaching of each subject at FET level focuses
on the achievement of subject-specific learning outcomes.
2.7.2 The position of geography in the new curriculum
According to Nel & Binns (1999), efforts by the state to change the syllabuses in the early 1990s did
not materialize because of resistance from the teachers who did not approve of the top-down approach
to the formulation of syllabuses. This meant that the 1983 geography syllabus (see Section 2.6.5.5)
largely remained in use for some time until the full implementation of the new curriculum underpinned
by OBE. However, according to Beets & Le Grange (2008), there were cosmetic changes to the
geography syllabus during the period following South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994. The
process of “curriculum revision involved exorcising racial content as well as outdated and inaccurate
subject matter from school syllabuses” (Beets & Le Grange 2008: 69). Substantial changes in the
geography curriculum that occurred later, introducing OBE and C2005, were part of the dismantling of
the apartheid structures.
2.7.2.1 The new curriculum and school geography in the GET band
The introduction of OBE and C2005 in the late 1990s put school geography in an uncertain position
(Ballantyne 1999; Beets & Le Grange 2008; Binns 1999; Le Grange & Beets 2005; Nel & Binns 1999;
Ramutsindela 2001). This occurred as a result of the adoption of an integrated or interdisciplinary
approach to learning, where the different subjects were collapsed into eight Learning Areas in the GET
band (Grades R-9). The White Paper on Education and Training stipulates an “interdisciplinary,
integrated and active approach to learning” (South Africa 1995: 22). The integration process resulted in
geography being split into two in the GET band (Grades R to 9).
Human geography was incorporated into the Social Sciences Learning Area, together with history,
whereas physical geography was integrated into the Natural Sciences Learning Area (Binns 1999;
Mosidi 1998; Nel & Binns 1999; Ramutsindela 2001). Geography academics and school teachers feared
65
that the subject would be weakened and eventually lose its identity at school level (Ballantyne 1999;
Beets & Le Grange 2008; Mosidi 1998). According to Huckle (1997) the separation of physical and
human geography is likely to teach the students “a false separation of nature and society.” Furthermore,
environmental problems are not likely to be effectively addressed in the absence of an integrated
geography dealing with human-environment interactions (Goudie 1986). In other words, the weakened
subject is not likely to be an effective vehicle for the teaching and learning of EE and ESD. This is
reminiscent of the position of geography in some American and Australian state schools where
geography teachers are grappling with maintaining the subject’s identity within an integrated social
science learning programme (Binns 1999).
Research done by Ballantyne (1999) involving interviews with 10 South African geography teacher
educators, to find out their perceptions of C2005, established a number of pertinent concerns. First,
teacher educators were critical of the top down planning process that did not consider their
contributions and so they generally did not support the changes brought by the new curriculum. Second,
they doubted the efficacy of OBE itself. Third, they were concerned about what they perceived was an
imminent loss of identity of school geography as a result of fragmentation into two Learning Areas. As
a result, they felt “very much under threat”. Fourth, they were of the opinion that the reduction of the
time allocated to teaching geography within an integrated framework would cause the value of the
subject to be diminished.
Le Grange & Beets (2005) and Beets & Le Grange (2008) identified a number of problems which could
arise from the splitting of geography and incorporating it into two learning areas. First, within the
context of C2005, the critical outcomes and the subject specific learning outcomes were not likely to be
achieved as successfully as when physical geography and human geography are integrated in one
learning area. Second, the requirement of C2005 that teachers design learning programmes in the
absence of guidelines on content, would further weaken the human geography component in the Social
Sciences Learning Area. Teachers were not adequately trained to implement OBE and the new
curriculum (Jansen 1999a; Kruss 1998; Le Grange & Reddy 1997; 2000) and thus most of them lacked
the competence to design good learning programmes that could enhance the teaching of human
geography. Content guidelines were, nevertheless, later provided in the form of “assessment criteria,
range statements and performance indicators” (Beets & Le Grange 2008: 70). Third, Beets & Le Grange
argue that some of the specific outcomes listed below for the Social Sciences Learning Area could be
achieved through teaching of either human geography or history:
 make sound judgements about the development, utilisation and management of resources;
 critically understand the role of technology in social development; and,
66
 demonstrate an understanding of interrelationships between society and the natural environment (Beets & Le
Grange 2008: 70).
In the process of designing learning programmes, teachers who have a history background might
promote the learning of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values related to history at the expense of
geography, resulting in the weakening of the human geography component of the Social Sciences
Learning Area (Beets & Le Grange 2008).
However, there is one dissenting voice regarding the contested position of school geography during this
time. Van Harmelen (1999) is seemingly, unperturbed by the impact of the curriculum changes on the
status of school geography in the GET band. She sees an opportunity opening for the implementation of
improved learner-centred pedagogical approaches with the introduction of C2005. According to Van
Harmelen (1999), the adoption of social constructivist approaches to learning is long overdue so as to
replace teacher-centred, transmissive teaching styles that promote rote learning to prepare for
summative assessment. She approves of the integrated learning programmes offered through Learning
Areas because, in her view, students must receive a general education in the GET band that prepares
them for specialization in the FET band.
The changes which were effected through the introduction of the Revised National Curriculum
Statement (RNCS) as a result of the recommendations of the Curriculum Review Committee (Chisholm
et al 2000), had a bearing on the position of school geography in the GET band. According to Le
Grange & Beets (2005) and Beets & Le Grange (2008), the RNCS is still underpinned by OBE with all
the original critical outcomes still in place, but it is much more simplified than C2005. The specific
outcomes are now in the form of fewer “curriculum-linked outcomes”, referred to as learning outcomes.
There are a number of improvements in the RNCS which have strengthened the position of geography
in the Social Sciences Learning Area. Le Grange & Beets (2005) and Beets & Le Grange (2008),
observe a number of positive changes. First, content guidelines have been developed for each grade in
the RNCS policy document. Second, although some parts of physical geography have been retained in
the Natural Sciences Learning Area, geography has gained its identity in the Social Sciences. The
enhanced identity is attributed not only to the specification of content noted above, but also to the
formulation of distinct outcomes specifically for the geography learning area, as illustrated below:
Learning Outcome 1: Geographical enquiry

The learner will be able to use enquiry skills to investigate geographical and environmental concepts and
processes.
Learning Outcome 2: Knowledge and understanding
The learner will be able to demonstrate geographical and environmental knowledge and understanding.
Learning Outcome 3: Exploring issues
67
The learner will be able to make informed decisions about social and environmental issues and problems”
(Department of Education 2002b, cited by Beets & Le Grange 2008).
Third, according to Le Grange & Beets (2005) and Beets & Le Grange (2008), the RNCS has improved
features of continuity and progression as a result of the incorporation of assessment standards which did
not feature in C2005. At this level the teaching and learning of EE and ESD can be incorporated into
the lessons as this is prescribed in the policy document, as illustrated in the learning outcomes
(Department of Education 2002b).
The position of school geography in the FET band has not been contested because it is offered as a
subject, separate from other subjects in the Human, Social Sciences and Languages learning field
(Department of Education 2003b). Le Grange & Beets (2005: 267), in their article entitled Geography
education in South Africa after a decade of democracy, conclude that “developments in the last four
years place geography in a more secure position in the post-apartheid education system.”
2.7.2.2 The new curriculum and school geography in the FET (general) band
Nel & Binns (1999: 7) noted that the 1983 syllabus (see Section 2.6.5.5) had a number of shortcomings.
First, the syllabus did not embrace “socially critical thinking” and it was implemented by teachers
educated and trained within the “positivist and behaviouralist schools of thought.” Second, concern
about the environment was introduced, but there was very little focus on environmental issues. Third,
there was a heavy emphasis on content and textbook knowledge to prepare for examinations. Fourth,
the teaching of skills was only limited to map reading and interpretation, while the teaching and
learning of attitudes and values were neglected. Last, the syllabus had a “Eurocentric focus” which
excluded issues pertaining to the “life-worlds” of most of the students. Although the syllabus
encouraged fieldwork, the content overload in the syllabus resulted in teachers prioritizing covering
content through transmissive, teacher-centred pedagogical approaches that encouraged rote learning in
order to complete the syllabus in time for examinations. Such approaches are inappropriate for teaching
EE and ESD through the geography curriculum. However, there was a drastic change in the 2003
Geography NCS with regards to its philosophical underpinnings, content guidelines, pedagogical
approaches and methods of assessment (Department of Education 2003a; 2003b).
The Geography NCS is based on a number of principles (see Section 2.7.1), one of which is OBE, and
therefore the teaching and learning of geography in grades 10-12 are geared towards the achievement of
subject-specific learning outcomes as well as “generic and cross-curricular” critical and developmental
outcomes. The Geography NCS policy document has a preamble of aims. According to the Department
of Education (2003b: 9), the aims of geography education in the FET band are to:
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 develop tools and skills to research, interpret, analyse and make judgements based on the information
gathered, thereby contributing to geographical literacy … arrange and use geographical information and to
think systematically and critically about social and environmental issues and challenges [own
emphasis];
 develop knowledge and critical understanding of the changing nature and interrelatedness of human
existence and the environment over space and time … understanding of spatial distribution, human-
environment interactions, and sustainable development [own emphasis]; and,
 prepare students to become informed, critical and responsible citizens who can make sound judgements and
take appropriate action that will contribute to equitable and sustainable development of human society and
the physical environment [own emphasis].
The aims of geography education outlined above show a clear focus of the Geography NCS on the
teaching and learning of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. This observation is supported by the
statement on the scope of geography education, the learning outcomes, as well as the assessment
standards of school geography in the FET band. According to the Department of Education (2003b: 10),
the scope of geography covers: geographical skills and techniques; knowledge and understanding; and
the application of skills and knowledge to practical issues and challenges. Furthermore, the three aims
incorporate the teaching and learning of environmental education and education for sustainable
development in geography.
The Geography NCS policy document also provides learning outcomes or “intended results of the
teaching and learning” describing knowledge, skills and values to be demonstrated by students at
various stages – grade 10, 11 and 12. An extract of the three learning outcomes36 is given below
(Department of Education 2003b: 14-16):
Learning outcome 1: Geographical skills and Techniques (practical competence)

The learner is able to demonstrate a range of geographical skills and techniques.
Learning outcome 2: Knowledge and understanding (foundational competence)
The learner is able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of processes and spatial patterns dealing with
interactions between humans, and between humans and the environment in space and time.
Learning Outcome 3: Application (reflexive competence)
The learner is able to apply geographical skills and knowledge to environmental issues and challenges, recognize
values and attitudes, and demonstrate the ability to recommend solutions and strategies.
36
In the OBE system Learning Outcome (LO1) and Learning Outcome (LO2) focus on the cognitive (knowledge and understanding) and
psychomotor domain (skills) respectively. Learning Outcome Three (LO3) is the third subject-specific learning outcome which addresses the
development of the affective domain (attitudes and values).
69
Assessment is integrated into teaching and learning in the new curriculum (Department of Education
2003b; Janse van Rensburg & Twala 1998). Assessment standards linked to learning outcomes are
provided in order to guide teachers on criteria against which to assess learner competences (see Table
2.3). For each learning outcome, assessment standards have been designed for each grade. Furthermore,
the policy document gives guidelines on methods of assessment. The new geography curriculum places
a greater emphasis on continuous assessment (CASS) than the previous syllabuses where teaching and
learning focused on summative assessment at the end of a learning programme (Department of
Education 2003b). An illustration of the link between learning outcomes and assessment standards is
provided using an extract from the Grade 10 syllabus (Table 2.3).
Table 2.3: Assessment Standards for FET geography

GRADE 10
Learning Outcomes 1 Assessment Standards
Geographical skills and Techniques (practical We know this when the learner is able to:
competence)  Identify issues and formulate questions for an investigation.
The learner is able to demonstrate a range of  Acquire information from fieldwork and a variety of other
geographical skills and techniques. sources.
 Organize information graphically, pictorially and
diagrammatically.
 Analyse information obtained from a variety of sources.
Report findings in oral and/ or written form.
Knowledge and understanding (foundational We know this when the learner is able to:
competence)  Describe processes and associated patterns in places and
The learner is able to demonstrate knowledge and regions.
understanding of processes and spatial patterns  Identify similarities and differences in processes and spatial
dealing with interactions between humans, and patterns between places or between regions.
between humans and the environment in space  Describe the links between environmental problems and social
and time. injustices in a local and global context.
 Describe the interdependence between humans and the
environment at different scales.
Application (reflexive competence) We know this when the learner is able to:
The learner is able to apply geographical skills and  Apply skills and knowledge to a range of phenomena, issues
knowledge to environmental issues and challenges, and challenges at local and global scales.
recognize values and attitudes, and demonstrate  Identify different values and attitudes held by individuals and
the ability to recommend solutions and strategies. groups associated with processes, spatial patterns and human-
environment interactions at local and global scales.
Source: Department of Education (2003b: 22)
The learning outcomes and assessment standards incorporate the teaching and learning of
environmental education and education for sustainable development in geography. This means that the
policy document creates opportunities for teaching EE and ESD by clearly articulating that the teaching
70
and learning of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values should be linked to EE and ESD. Additionally,
the assessment standards linked to the learning outcomes guide the teachers on criteria against which to
assess learner competences in environmental learning. This ensures that the teachers incorporate EE and
ESD into the teaching and learning programmes.
However, the teaching of EE within an OBE framework has been criticised (Le Grange & Reddy 1997).
Learning outcomes and assessment standards are likely to reduce EE to the teaching and learning of
facts which are then assessed with the help of assessment standard guidelines in order to demonstrate
the learning of specific outcomes. This is likely to promote the teaching of environmental knowledge at
the expense of skills, attitudes and values which are necessary for the students to address environmental
issues and to lead more sustainable lifestyles. The teaching of environmental education within an OBE
framework will result in a weakened form of environmental education called education about the
environment37 (Le Grange & Reddy 1997). Concerning this issue, Le Grange & Reddy (1997: 15)
argue: “Environmental education is concerned with process. In taking social action (action for the
environment) you cannot have predetermined outcomes. Environmental outcomes are developed
through a process of interaction with others in specific environmental contexts.”
The pedagogical approaches prescribed in the new NCS geography curriculum shift at policy level from
teacher-centred, transmissive methods to learner-centred approaches and active learning because the
NCS is underpinned by OBE (Department of Education 2003a; 2003b; Le Grange & Beets 2005). The
new curriculum encourages the adoption of social constructivist approaches to learning. Van Harmelen
(1999: 80) supports Vygotsky’s (1986) and Gergen’s (1985) views that active learning is based on
social constructivism which “suggests that knowledge is constructed in the minds of students through
the many social settings that make up their lived experiences and that this knowledge is largely a
reflection of the relationship that exists between culture and language.”
The complaint about the “Eurocentric” focus of previous school syllabuses (Nel & Binns 1999), has
been addressed in the geography NCS policy document. First, the contextual focus has shifted to the
global in grade 10, continental (i.e. Africa) in grade 11 and national (i.e. South Africa) in grade 12
(Department of Education 2003b). Second, indigenous knowledge has been incorporated into the
geography NCS (Le Grange & Beets 2005). Indigenous knowledge is defined in the South African
context as “a body of knowledge embedded in African philosophical thinking and social practices that
have evolved over thousands of years” (Department of Education 2003a: 9). Teachers are called upon to
recognize and incorporate both western ways of knowing and indigenous knowledge systems in
planning the learning programmes (Le Grange & Beets 2005).
37
Education about the environment consists of educational programmes that are designed to provide information regarding the environment
and the goal is to enable the students to obtain knowledge about the environment (Lucas 1972).
71
The content can be organized using either the regional studies or the thematic studies perspective.
Within the thematic studies perspective, teachers can select one of the following options: the systematic
approach38 (see also Section 2.6.5.5), the systems approach39 (see also Section 2.1) or the issues-based
approach40 (Department of Education 2003b; IGU-CGE 1992). The issues-based approach is
recommended because it promotes active learning and critical thinking through the enquiry method (see
also Section 2.6.4). Furthermore, the issues-based approach enables the teaching and learning of
environmental themes incorporated in the curriculum to be dealt with more effectively. The enquiry
method provides opportunities for students to ask questions, acquire information, organize and analyse
it and then obtain answers to the issues being investigated (Department of Education 2003b; IGU-CGE
1992). The teaching and learning process could also result in the consideration of solutions or action
being taken on some of the environmental issues (Corney & Middleton 1996; Tilbury 1997). According
to the Department of Education (2003b: 12):
The issues-based approach enables the geographer to focus on a specific issue in a natural,
built or social environment in a locational (place or regional) context. A well-developed
geographical understanding of these issues can result only from a process of enquiry in
which questions are asked, evidence is examined and conclusions are reached. The enquiry
method provides learners with ways of thinking critically and creatively about the problems
or issues they study (e.g. the impact of HIV/AIDS on population dynamics, environmental
quality, socio-economic disparities, hazards and disasters, poverty and resource
management in a country).
Fieldwork is an integral part of the enquiry method because students have to go out and find
information on questions which they ask relating to particular environmental issues (Boardman 1986;
Naish, Rawling & Hart 2002). The issues-based approach and the enquiry method create opportunities
for values education (Boardman 1986). The learning of values can be achieved through the teaching and
learning of environmental education and education for sustainable development through the school
2.8 SUMMARY
Geography academics have experienced difficulties in providing universally acceptable definitions of

the discipline because of its pluralistic and interdisciplinary nature. There is a general consensus,
38
This approach enables the geographer to understand phenomena (physical and human) and their resultant patterns and impacts in a
systematic way e.g. tropical cyclones, natural hazards, urbanization in a place or region (Department of Education 2003b: 12) .
39
The approach enables the geographer to understand the wholeness of the environment and the interdependence of its individual components
(Department of Education 2003b: 12).
40
The geographer focuses on a specific issue in a natural, built or social environment in a locational context (Department of Education 2003b:
12).
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however, that the study of place, space, environment and the earth are the core themes that distinguish
geography from other disciplines. The Kuhnian model has been used to show that geography has
undergone epistemological and methodological changes since the time it was first institutionalized.
These changes have resulted in the disintegration of the discipline into physical geography and human
geography. On one hand, the physical geography sub-disciplines have borrowed their epistemology and
methodology from the hard sciences. On the other hand, human geography has drawn much closer to
the softer social sciences. The adoption of different paradigms in human geography has implications not
only on how human-environment relationships are dealt with, but also on how environmental problems
can be addressed. An integrated approach that combines physical and human geography is seen as the
most appropriate manner in which to address environmental problems.
Changes in academic geography have influenced the content of school geography as well as the
pedagogical approaches used by teachers. The teaching of a large quantity of examination-oriented,
disconnected facts in school geography was replaced with the teaching of knowledge, skills, attitudes
and values by increasing the EE and ESD content in the curriculum. The former was achieved through
transmissive teaching styles whereas the latter could be accomplished through learner-centred
pedagogical approaches that promote active learning such as enquiry learning.
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CHAPTER 3: ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION / EDUCATION FOR

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
In Chapter 2, I dealt with geography, the vehicle for teaching environmental education and education
for sustainable development. I showed how geography academics and teachers have tried to tackle
environmental problems through a rapidly changing discipline. In this chapter I trace the history of
environmental education up to its institutionalization in formal education. I also deal with the barriers in
different contexts that hinder attempts to implement it in formal education. I have tried to specifically
focus on South Africa which is the context of this research project. Because this research focuses on the
teaching of environmental education and education for sustainable development through the geography
curriculum, I also review literature on the incorporation of environmental education in geography
education towards the end of the Chapter.
3.1 HISTORY OF EE
According to Cowie (1997), the EE concept has evolved in tandem with the concept of environment.
Initially, the general perception was that the environment consisted only of the natural or biophysical
component that excluded the impact of the human dimension (Le Grange & Reddy 2008; Reddy 2008).
Janse van Rensburg (1995) cited in Le Grange & Reddy (2008) criticizes early approaches to
environmental education for showing a narrow view of the environment; failure to grasp the nature of
the crisis and lack of understanding of the actions to be taken. Currently the environment is perceived as
being much broader, and encompassing four dimensions (see Figure 3.1). According to O’Donoghue
(1993), these dimensions are part of the environment in its totality – the biophysical, social, economic
and political dimensions which interact with one another. The biophysical environment provides the
life-support base for all human activities. The interaction between the various dimensions, as indicated
in Figure 3.1, often results in negative impacts which may be clearly manifested in the condition of the
biophysical environment (Reddy 2011). The deteriorating condition of the biophysical component will
in turn negatively affect the other three components (social, political and economic). The survival of
humans on earth can be eventually threatened as a result of the destruction of the biophysical dimension
of the environment (Rosenberg 2009). As the conception of environment became broader, the scope of
EE correspondingly widened as enunciated in the UNESCO-UNEP Tbilisi Principles (UNESCO 1978).
74
Policy, Power & Decisions
POLITICAL
People
living Jobs &
together Money
SOCIAL ECONOMIC
BIOPHYSICAL
Living things and life support systems
Source: O’Donoghue (1993)

Figure 3.1 Components of the environment
The worsening state of the global environment (De Beer, Dreyer & Loubser 2005) described in the
opening paragraph (Chapter 1) spurred scientists to lobby for increased environmental protection. One
of the responses to the environmental crisis is education (Greenall 1987; Le Grange & Reddy 2008;
Reddy 2008). The identification of the need to educate people to care for the environment has resulted
in the growth of environmental education.
3.1.1 The origins of EE
According to Gough (1997) and Palmer (1997), EE developed in the 1960s. The environmentalism
movement grew as a result of the realization that there was a looming environmental crisis
characterized by, among other problems, “increasing contamination of land, air and water, the growth in
world population and the continuing depletion of natural resources” (Gough 1997: 2). In the forefront
of the environmentalism movement were scientists such as Rachel Carson (1962) (see also Section 2.3),
who called for more information on the environment and for education to promote increased awareness
of environmental problems during that time (Gough 1997; 2006b; Stevenson 1987; Vogel 1992).
Patrick Geddes (1854-1933), a botanist, is believed to be the founder of EE as we currently understand
it (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005). While Geddes’s colleagues viewed the environment as consisting only
of the rural natural environment, he had a broader and more holistic view of it that included the man-
75
made environment. Geddes also contributed some ideas to the educational methodology that is currently
used.
Gough (1997; 2006b) points out that there was a general perception that science and technology could
provide solutions to environmental problems. “These environmental problems were often seen as
scientific problems which science and technology could solve, but increasingly even the scientists
themselves were arguing that science and technology were not enough” (Gough 2006b: 71). Boyden
(1970) disagreed with the view that science and technology could provide solutions to environmental
problems in the statement:
The suggestion that all our problems will be solved through further scientific research is not
only foolish, but in fact dangerous … the environmental changes of our time have arisen
out of the tremendous intensification of the interaction between cultural and natural
processes. They can neither be considered as problems to be left to the natural scientists,
nor as problems to be left to those concerned professionally with the phenomena of culture
… all sections of the community have a role to play, certain key groups have, at the present
time, a special responsibility (Boyden 1970) cited in Gough (1997: 3).
In line with the views of other scientists during that time, Boyden (1970) appealed to educational
institutions to take the lead in launching programmes to make students aware of the environmental
problems. There was a tacit understanding that science education should be used as a vehicle for
creating environmental awareness among students (Gough 1997). However, Palmer (1997: 6) opposes
this attitude. She argues “that EE does not lie exclusively in the field of science education …and should
not be an adopted child of this field …” This implies that most disciplines / school subjects such as
geography can be used as vehicles to teach environmental education. Where did the term environmental
education originate?
According to Wheeler (1975), cited in Gough (1997; 2006b), the term environmental education was
first used in the United States and in Britain. Disinger (1983) and Tilbury (1997) state that the term was
first used in 1948 at a meeting of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN) in Paris. However, EE under a different name, such as ecology or nature study, had
been taught in the United States since the beginning of the 20th century (Terry 1971) cited by Gough
(1997). Stevenson (1987: 69) explains that the main purpose of nature study was “to develop an
understanding and appreciation of the natural environment through first hand observation.” In the late
1960s to early 1970s, the conception of EE was rather narrow due to the fact that people still had a very
narrow view of the environment (see Section 3.1). The EE programmes involved an incorporation of
studies on the biophysical environment (ecology) into the education curricula as well as “promoting
76
technical training and general awareness of environmental problems” (Gough 1997: 6). EE took the
form of conservation education. According to Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka (2005: 39), environmental
organizations worked with rather “limiting concepts and terms such as ‘conservation awareness’,
‘environmental awareness’, and ‘conservation education’ to describe what they were doing” before the
term environmental education was adopted.
3.1.1.1 Defining environmental education
With regards to the nature of EE during this time, Gough (1997; 2006b) notes that there were concerns
that the EE discourse was vague and so in an effort to clarify the EE field, a number of definitions were
proposed. Stapp et al (1969) provide one of the definitions of EE (see section 1.1.1). They also list four
objectives of EE which are to help individuals to acquire:
1. a clear understanding that man is an inseparable part of a system, consisting of man, culture, and the
biophysical environment, and that man has the ability to alter interrelationships of this system;
2. a broad understanding of the biophysical environment, both natural and man-made, and its role in
contemporary society;
3. a fundamental understanding of biophysical environmental problems confronting man, how these problems
can be solved, and responsibility of citizens and government to work towards their solution; and,
4. attitudes of concern for the quality of the biophysical environment which will motivate citizens to participate
in biophysical environmental problem-solving (Stapp et al 1969: 31) cited in Gough (1997: 7).
These objectives place a greater emphasis on addressing problems related to the biophysical
environment more than on other human dimensions; the social, economic and political. The EE
programmes focus more on environmental awareness and conservation education so as to promote the
preservation and conservation of natural resources. The human agent as the main cause of
environmental degradation is largely ignored. During this period, environmental education promoted a
reactive approach characterized by technical solutions to environmental problems during the era of
modernity (Sauvé 1999). Furthermore, the objectives reflect conservationist and problem-solving
currents in environmental education, as noted by Sauvé (2005).
Another popular definition of EE was provided by IUCN (1970) (see Section 1.1.1) but not all
academics involved in the EE discourse accept the definition. Linke (1977: 12) cited in Greenall (1987)
comments: unless environmental education “is defined in a practical way which is accepted by teachers
and those who administer education it cannot command a place in the formal curriculum … and can
have no continuing academic identity.” Lucas’s (1972) contribution to the EE discourse helped to
provide greater clarity on the nature of EE.
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3.1.1.2 Approaches to environmental education
Lucas (1972), in his doctoral dissertation entitled Environmental education: Conceptual issues and
curriculum implications, proposed a framework for classifying environmental education programmes;
education about, for and in the environment. His aim was to clarify the EE concept because he felt that
it was ambiguous. The first two, education about and for the environment, are goal orientated whereas
the last one education in the environment is a pedagogical approach.
In the case of education about the environment, the educational programmes are designed to provide
information regarding the environment and the goal is to enable the students to obtain knowledge about
the environment. According to Lucas (1972), the programme objectives are “cognitive.” Lucas
maintains that students may achieve varying levels of cognition in learning about the environment
according to Bloom’s taxonomy (Bloom et al 1974):
Students may be expected to comprehend and interpret environmental data; to analyse

environmental situations into the component principles; to synthesize explanations likely to
account for an environmental phenomenon that is new to the student; and to evaluate
environmental data and phenomena, and, perhaps, the consequences of proposed
manipulations in terms of the likely environmental responses (Lucas 1972: 102).
Additionally, Lucas (1972) observes that education about the environment also involves the teaching
and learning of skills that enable the student to “investigate the nature of the environment.” According
to Fien (1993: 15), education about the environment is concerned with “knowledge about natural
systems and processes and the ecological, economic and political factors that influence decisions about
how people use the environment.”
Examples of education in the environment include outdoor education programmes and any other
educational programmes that take place in the environment (Lucas 1972). Fien (1993: 15-16) maintains
that:
“Education through (in) the environment uses pupils’ experiences in the environment as a
medium for education. The aims of this learner-centred approach to environmental
education are to add reality, relevance and practical experience to learning and to provide
pupils with an appreciation of the environment through direct contact with it … it may also
foster environmental concern if pupils become captivated by the importance and fragility of
ecosystems … or immersed in the values conflict over an environmental issue.”
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Education for the environment covers programmes that “aim to assist the preservation or improvement
of the environment for a particular purpose” and are designed to teach skills, as well as positive
attitudes, values and behaviour towards the environment. Lucas (1972: 106) argues: “since the goal of
education for the environment is to produce a ‘quality’ environment, citizens must be provided with the
skills that are necessary to achieve this end.” Fien (1993: 16) supports Lucas’s explanation of education
for the environment but adds that it should have a transformative nature in the statement:
Education for the environment has an overt agenda of values education and social change.
It aims to engage pupils in the exploration and resolution of environmental issues in order
to … promote lifestyles that are compatible with the sustainable and equitable use of
resources. In doing so it builds on education about and through the environment to help
develop an informed concern for the environment, a sensitive environmental ethic, and the
skills for participating in environmental protection and improvement.
A number of authors regard Lucas’s (1972) classification of EE programmes as useful (Fien 1993;
Huckle 1983; Lee & Williams 2001; Robottom 1987). Robottom (1987) argues that education in and
about the environment help to maintain the status quo with regards to unsustainable lifestyles whereas
education for the environment is more transformative. Linke (1980) and Greenall (1980), cited by
Jickling & Spork (1998), categorically state that education for the environment is environmental
education whereas education in or about the environment cannot be called environmental education.
Jickling & Spork (1998) also acknowledge the value of the Lucas’s (1972) EE categories and point out
that the “activities called education for the environment” have helped EE practitioners to focus on the
political dimension of issues as well and to clarify the socially critical aspect of environmental
education.
There are however, some dissenting voices in the literature concerning Lucas’s (1972) classification of
EE into education in, about and for the environment. Gough (1997) disapproves of the uncritical
acceptance of this classification of EE. She observes that these categories have become “common
slogans of the environmental education movement” (Gough 1997: xi). Jickling & Spork (1998 323)
maintain that the term education for the environment “reflects … the values and predilections of
activists more than those of educators” and that “continued popular use of the term runs the risk of
encouraging non-educative activities and alienating those whose interests are most obviously
threatened.” Additionally, they argue that it is limiting and tends to hamper new developments in the
EE discourse (Jickling 1997; Jickling & Spork 1998).
Huckle (1993: 63) and Fien (1993), using Habermas’s (1972) work on the Theory of knowledge-
constitutive interests, argue that the positivist, interpretive and critical paradigms have influenced the
three approaches to EE discussed above. Education about the environment is viewed as education for
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environmental management and control. It is based on the positivist epistemology and its goal is
technical control. Education in the environment, founded on the interpretive epistemology, “serves the
practical human interest.” This approach is called education for environmental awareness and
interpretation because it promotes environmental awareness and the understanding of the natural
systems. Education about and in the environment, which tend to maintain the status quo with regards to
unsustainable lifestyles, are believed to be the dominant education practices around the world
(Robottom 1987). Lastly, education for the environment or education for sustainability is founded on
critical science. The aim of education for sustainability is social emancipation; it is socially critical and
has a transformative agenda on the society. In other words, it aims to expose political and economic
pressures that harm the environment and tries to promote more sustainable lifestyles (Fien 1993).
I do not agree with the academics such as Greenall (1980) and Linke (1980), who only consider
education for the environment as being environmental education, but reject education about and in the
environment. When EE in the form of education about, in and for the environment is implemented
through the school curriculum, the teaching and learning of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values is
likely to be more effectively achieved. According to Palmer (1997) and Corney & Middleton’s (1996),
these three elements, education about, in and for the environment, are essential in designing EE
programmes in the school curriculum. Additionally, Fien (1993) argues that education for the
environment “builds on education about and through the environment to help develop an informed
concern for the environment, a sensitive environmental ethic, and the skills for participating in
environmental protection and improvement.” Lucas’s (1972) contribution on education about, in and
for the environment is quite significant in that it has helped to clarify an EE field that tends to be diffuse
and nebulous at times.
Important milestones were reached in the environmentalism movement in an effort to respond to the
environmental crisis (see also Section 2.3). These milestones have helped to shape the nature of EE, its
scope and implementation strategies.
3.1.2 Milestones in the history of EE
The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment convened the first world environmental
conference in 1972 in Stockholm. The conference accepted the importance of education to promote a
caring attitude towards the environment (Gough 1997; 2006b). One of the most important outcomes of
this conference was the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (Gough
1997; 2006b; Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005; Reddy 2008). UNEP was assigned the task of “establishing
the term ‘environmental education’ as opposed to other terms, as the internationally accepted norm and
the conceptual framework within which further development could take place” (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka
80
2005: 40). UNESCO and UNEP convened the first international workshop on Environmental Education
in Belgrade in 1975 (UNESCO 1978). The workshop produced The Belgrade Charter considered as a
“world-wide strategy” for EE (Cowie 1997).
The next major event, the first Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education, was held in
Tbilisi in 1977. The main outcome of this conference was the Tbilisi Principles of Environmental
Education (UNESCO 1978) (see Box 3.1) which would be used as a framework and guidelines for
implementing EE world-wide (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005).
Additionally, Cowie (1997) notes that the Tbilisi conference took cognizance of the problem of
incorporating an interdisciplinary subject in a formal schooling system that was “disciplinary and thus
fragmented”. The idea of a problem-oriented approach to EE was emphasized. Furthermore, Robottom
(1987) cited by Cowie (1997) noted the tendency for environmental concerns to focus more on the
biophysical environment than the human dimension.
The goals and objectives of EE from the Tbilisi conference (UNESCO 1978: 26-27) are set out in the
next paragraph.
1. The goals of environmental education are:

 to foster clear awareness of, and concern about, economic, social, political and ecological interdependence in
urban and rural areas;
 to provide every person with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment and skills
needed to protect and improve the environment; and,
 to create new patterns of behaviour of individuals, groups and society as a whole towards the environment.
2. The categories of environmental education objectives are:

 Awareness: to help social groups and individuals acquire an awareness of and sensitivity to the total
environment and its allied problems.
 Knowledge: to help social groups and individuals gain a variety of experience in, and acquire a basic
understanding of, the environment and its associated problems.
 Attitudes: to help social groups and individuals acquire a set of values and feelings of concern for the
environment, and the motivation for actively participating in environmental improvement and protection.
 Skills: to help social groups and individuals acquire the skills for identifying and solving environmental
problems.
 Participation: to provide social groups and individuals with an opportunity to be actively involved at all
levels in working towards the resolution of environmental problems.
In the implementation of environmental education in formal education, curriculum planners and

teachers should ensure that they incorporate the above objectives through which the long term goals of
81
environmental education can be achieved. In short, environmental education programmes should impart
knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required for more sustainable lifestyles or for positive
environmental behaviour.
Box 3.1
THE TBILISI PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Environmental education should:

1. consider the environment in its totality – natural and built, technological and social (economic, political, cultural-
historical, moral, aesthetic);
2. be a continuous lifelong process, beginning at the preschool level and continuing through all formal and non-
formal stages;
3. be interdisciplinary in its approach, drawing on the specific content of each discipline in making possible a holistic
and balanced perspective;
4. examine major environmental issues from local, national, regional and international points of view so that students
receive insights into environmental conditions in other geographical areas;
5. focus on current and potential environmental situations while taking into account the historical perspective;
6. promote the value of and necessity for local, national and international cooperation in the prevention and solution
of environmental problems;
7. explicitly consider environmental aspects in plans for development and growth;
8. enable learners to have a role in planning their learning experiences and provide an opportunity for making
decisions and accepting their consequences;
9. relate environmental sensitivity, knowledge, problem-solving skills and values clarification to every age, but with
special emphasis on environmental sensitivity to the learner's own community in early years;
10. help learners to discover the symptoms and real causes of environmental problems;
11. emphasise the complexity of environmental problems and thus the need to develop critical thinking and problem
solving-skills; and,
12. utilise diverse learning environments and a broad array of educational approaches to teaching/learning about and
from the environment, with due stress on practical activities and first-hand experience.
Source: UNESCO-UNEP (1978)
According to Reddy (2008), the three conferences dealt with above were part of the UNESCO/UNEP
international environmental education programme of the 1970s decade. There were a number of events
in the 1980s, which had a bearing on the EE discourse. The World Conservation Strategy, produced by
IUCN/ UNEP/ WWF (1980), stimulated the formulation of national and local conservation strategies
globally (Gough 2006b). Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka (2005) state that the World Conservation Strategy was
updated in 1991 and published as Caring for the Earth: A strategy for sustainable living. The authors
observe that the two documents stress the role of environmental education in conservation and the
promotion of sustainable use of natural resources. The International Conference on Environmental
Education held in Moscow in 1987 declared that the Tbilisi Principles were “sound guidelines for the
development of national environmental education programmes” (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005; Reddy
2008).
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The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) published a report entitled Our
Common Future, or the Brundtland Report (WCED 1987). This report popularized the highly contested
concept of sustainable development (see Section 1.1.2) which is expanded in the document, Caring for
the Earth, and dominated proceedings in the Rio Earth Summit (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005). The EE
discourse began to be influenced by the sustainable development concept during the 1980s (see Section
1.1.2) (Gough 1997; Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005; Palmer 1997). Gough (1997) notices the use of the
term “education for sustainable development” in place of “education for the environment” in a number
of documents dealing with the environmental education discourse in the 1990s. Illustrations of this
trend, observed by Gough (1997), include the documents - Caring for the Earth: A strategy for
sustainable living (IUCN 1991) and Chapter 36 (Para 2) in Agenda 21 (UNCED 1992). The latter calls
on governments to reorient “education towards sustainable development.”
According to Reddy (2008), the most important environmental education event in the 1990s was the
first Earth Summit, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held
in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka (2005) observe that environmental education was
prominent in the agenda of the Earth Summit. Its role as an “educational response to the environmental
crisis” was emphasized. One of the main documents produced in the conference was Agenda 21, which
outlined a programme of action to be implemented by governments to protect the environment. Agenda
21 “defines sustainable development” and provides a “blue print for change” (Brack, Calder & Dolun
2001: 1). The importance of environmental education is covered in Chapter 36 of Agenda 21.
Environmental education is described as those practices that involve teachers and learners in
“promoting sustainable development and improving the capacity of people to address environment and
development issues” (UNCED 1992, Chapter 36: 2) cited by Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka (2005: 42).
Another development at the Rio Earth Summit was the contribution of NGOs to the EE discourse. The
meeting of the International Forum of NGOs and Social Movements adopted a Treaty on
Environmental Education for Sustainable Societies. A set of principles was formulated as part of the
treaty (see Box 3.2).
Gough (1997: 35) observes that some of the NGO Forum Principles significantly differ from the Tbilisi
Principles in that they offer “a much more holistic view of education that is socially critical and
reconstructionist and Gaian in approach.” Lotz-Sisitka (2002: 100) agrees with Gough and observes that
Agenda 21 and the Treaty on Environmental Education for Sustainable Societies describes EE as a
“transformative, continuous learning process based on respect for all life.”
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Box 3.2
THE NGO FORUM PRINCIPLES

Some principles of environmental education for equitable and sustainable societies:
1. Education is the right of all; we are all learners and educators.
2. Environmental education, whether formal, non-formal or informal should be grounded in critical and innovative thinking
in any place or time, promoting the transformation and construction of society.
3. Environmental education is both individual and collective. It aims to develop local and global citizenship with respect
for self-determination and the sovereignty of nations.
4. Environmental education is not neutral but is value-based. It is an act of social transformation.
5. Environmental education must involve a holistic approach and thus an inter-disciplinary focus in the relation between
human beings, nature and the universe.
6. Environmental education must stimulate solidarity, equality, and respect for human rights involving democratic
strategies and an open climate of cultural interchange.
7. Environmental education should treat critical global issues, their causes and interrelationship in a systematic approach
and within their social and historical contexts. Fundamental issues in relation to development and the environment
such as population, health, peace, human rights, democracy, hunger, degradation of flora and fauna, should be
perceived in this manner.
8. Environmental education must facilitate equal partnerships in the process of decision making at all levels and stages.
9. Environmental education must recover, recognize, respect, reflect and utilise indigenous history and local cultures, as
well as promote cultural, linguistic and ecological diversity. This implies acknowledging the historical perspective of
native peoples as a way to change ethnocentric approaches, as well as the encouragement of bilingual education.
10. Environmental education should empower all peoples and promote opportunities for grassroots democratic change
and participation. This means that communities must regain control of their own destinies.
11. Environmental education values all the different forms of knowledge. Knowledge is diverse, cumulative and socially
produced and should not be patented or monopolized.
12. Environmental education must be designed to enable people to manage conflicts in just and humane ways.
13. Environmental education must stimulate dialogue and cooperation among individuals and institutions in order to
create new lifestyles which are based on meeting everyone’s basic needs, regardless of ethnic, gender, age, religious,
class, physical or mental differences.
14. Environmental education requires a democratization of the mass media and its commitment to the interests of all
sectors of society. Communication is an inalienable right and the mass media must be transformed into one of the
main channels of education, not only by disseminating information on an egalitarian basis, but also through exchange
of means, values and experiences.
15. Environmental education must integrate knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and actions. It should convert every
opportunity into an educational experience for sustainable societies.
16. Education must help develop an ethical awareness of all forms of life with which humans share this planet, respect all
life cycles and impose limits on humans’ exploitation of other forms of life.
Source: Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka (2005: 43-44)
Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka (2005: 44-45) made the following comments on transformative feature of the
NGO Forum Principles:
These principles show greater concern for issues of social justice, equity, democracy and
social transformation. For example, the principle that “we are all learners and educators”
highlights the fact that we are all able to learn from each other. Other principles support a
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dynamic and open climate of cultural interchange and the need to consider social and
historical contexts of environmental issues and create the openings in environmental
education for recognition of diverse cultural values, indigenous knowledge, environmental
education processes, and a deeper understanding of the root causes of environmental issues.
The principles also create a more democratic framework for educational processes, which
are aimed at promoting the transformation and construction of societies, recognizing
different value orientations and the stimulation of dialogue and cooperation among
individuals and institutions. The NGO Forum Principles also recognize the socially
constructed nature of knowledge … as well as the need to promote cultural, linguistic and
ecological diversity.
Le Grange & Reddy (2008) make a similar observation that the NGO Forum Principles are value-based
in that they call for transformation of society whereas the Tbilisi Principles are value-neutral.
Furthermore, the view of environmental education according to the NGO Forum Principles contrasts
sharply with the one suggested in UNCED’s (1992) Agenda 21, Chapter 36. The latter presents a
technocentric perspective that accommodates development and EE is given an instrumental role to
achieve the goals (Gough 1997).
The Rio Earth Summit was followed in 2002 by the World Summit on Sustainable Development
(WSSD) in Johannesburg (Gough 2006b; Reddy 2008). The WSSD is also referred to as the Rio+10
summit because it was organized in order to review progress on the implementation of the programme
of action set out in Agenda 21 at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 (Brack, Calder & Dolun 2001). WSSD
also noted the importance of education for the achievement of sustainable development (Gough 2006b).
After the WSSD, the scope of EE becomes broader than how it is envisaged in Agenda 21. According to
UNESCO (2004: 7), cited in Gough (2006b), it includes “social justice and the fight against poverty as
key principles of development that is sustainable.” Another important development was that the DESD
from 2005–2014 was proposed, discussed and adopted (see Section 1.1.4). According to Reddy (2008:
169), the DESD “is the driving force for Environmental Education (EE) at the moment and South
Africa is a signatory to the United Nations’ declared decade.”
According to Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka (2005), one of the main impacts of the milestones dealt with above is
the promotion of an “integrated” and “holistic form of environmental education.” Furthermore, the
milestones reaffirm the scope of EE, that it encompasses the interaction between the social, economic,
political and ecological dimensions. This view of EE calls for a more holistic educational approach
(Cowie 1997). Additionally, Palmer (1997) observes that governments have used the definitions,
objectives and principles from documents such as the The Belgrade Charter, The Tbilisi Declaration,
The World Conservation Strategy, Our Common Future and Agenda 21 to develop EE “policies,
programmes and resources” at national and community level.
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The focus now shifts to the South African context where I trace the development of environmental
education from conservation education. I also show how international developments helped to shape the
scope of environmental education in the country. Additionally, I mainly focus on environmental
education initiatives up to the early 1990s before it was widely institutionalized in formal education.
3.2 THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA
Ballantyne & Oelofse (1989) point out that the history of environmental education in South Africa has
been covered in detail by Irwin (1984) and Hurry (1987a). EE in its current form was adopted in South
Africa in the mid-1970s as a result of the impact of the 1975 Belgrade Charter and the 1977 Tbilisi
Principles (Cowie 1997; Hurry 1987b; Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005). Furthermore, the NGO Forum
principles have influenced South African EE practitioners because of their concerns about social justice,
equity, democracy and transformation (Lotz-Sisitka 2002).
Before this, the environmental crisis was addressed through conservation education (Clacherty 1994;
Hurry 1987a) defined as “the wise use of natural resources” (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005: 47).
Conservation education is based on a narrow conception of the environment that only encompasses the
biophysical environment (ecology and ecological processes) (see Section 3.1). According to Irwin
(1981), cited by Clacherty (1994), conservation education was implemented in order to allay middle
class fears concerning the possible loss of land for hunting or recreation and loss of species, especially
large animals. Additionally, farmers were concerned about the loss of productive agricultural land as a
result of erosion (Ballantyne & Oelofse 1989). Conservation education was later absorbed into
environmental education and has become an integral part of it (Cowie 1997).
However, in South Africa and in other countries such as the US, environmental education in the early
1980s was often confused with the concept of outdoor education, “focusing on out-of-doors activities”
geared towards the study of nature. The promotion of the concept of outdoor education in place of
environmental education is viewed by Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka (2005) as an attempt by conservative
educationists to narrow the scope of EE through the removal of the socio-political dimension which
they were uncomfortable with. In the early 1990s, Clacherty (1994: 57) observes a trend towards “a
more holistic approach to environmental education and the conservation of natural resources and
habitats”. Institutions were set up to develop EE in South Africa.
The first international conference on EE in South Africa was held in 1982 at Treverton College, Mooi
River, in Natal (Cowie 1997; Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005). A wide range of South African stakeholders
involved in EE met with representatives from other continents for the first time. One of the main
outcomes of the conference was the launching of the Environmental Education Association of Southern
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Africa (EEASA), which plays a “significant catalytic, developmental and coordinating role in the
growth of environmental education” in Southern Africa (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005: 48). EEASA first
launched its journal, Southern African Journal of Environmental Education, in 1984 and the
Environmental Education Bulletin in 1988.
NGOs such as the Wilderness Leadership School and the Wildlife Society of South Africa (WESSA)
have also played an important role in the practice of EE. According to Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka (2005: 48),
these NGOs had already started teaching and practising conservation education by the 1960s. Umgeni
Valley Project (UVP), established by WESSA, has also greatly contributed to the development of EE
theory and practice in South Africa. Conservation education provided by NGOs was often in the form
of authoritarian, top-down approaches and single event experiences designed to create environmental
awareness (Clacherty 1994). O’Donoghue (1994: 65) is critical of such approaches to environmental
education. He comments:
These approaches share a modernist underpinning which assumes that the transfer of
information and the successful implementation of nature-experience activities will change
the awareness, values and behaviour of a particular school and community target groups.
This domination by a functionalist outlook has framed environmental education in this
rational interventionist manner.
The Southern African Development Community Regional Environmental Education Programme

(SADC-REEP) is based in UVP. UVP’s success in promoting EE can be attributed to the support from
the Natal Education Department and Natal Parks Board which embraced EE more than other provincial
government departments and conservation agencies (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005). According to
Clacherty (1994), national government’s role in the development of EE during this time was rather
limited.
However, a notable contribution of the government in this regard was the enactment of soil
conservation legislation, for example, the Environment Conservation Act of 1982 (Clacherty 1994). The
Cabinet Committee on Environmental Conservation, established in 1972, was the first government body
to outline the role of environmental education in achieving conservation goals and to promote the need
for conservation (Ballantyne & Oelofse 1989). Furthermore, in 1989 the White Paper on Environmental
Education, drafted by the Department of Environmental Affairs, was presented before parliament for
discussion. The White Paper included the Tbilisi Principles and the concept of EE as it was known
during that time (Ballantyne & Oelofse 1989). Clacherty’s (1994) criticism of the White Paper was that
it omitted two of the most important Tbilisi Principles:
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Environmental education should … help learners to discover the symptoms and real causes
of environmental problems; (and should) emphasise the complexity of environmental
problems and thus the need to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
(UNESCO-UNEP 1978: 3) cited in Clacherty (1994).
O’Donoghue (1994) criticizes the White Paper for decontextualising the environmental crisis by failing
to link it with the historical socio-political conditions. Unfortunately, the conservative sections of the
South African education community rejected the White Paper on Environmental Education. Other
groups did not accept the White Paper on the grounds that they had been excluded from contributing
their ideas during its development. Because of the controversy surrounding its drafting, the White Paper
on Environmental Education was never enacted into law (Lotz-Sisitka 2002). Its impact was therefore
limited (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005).
At the inception of democracy rule, efforts to transform the society in post-apartheid South Africa
resulted in the formulation of national policy frameworks that have generally been conducive to the
institutionalisation and implementation of environmental education in formal education (Le Grange
2002). The right of every citizen to enjoy a healthy environment is enshrined in the Bill of Rights in the
Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (South Africa 1996a). Other policy documents which
supported the development of environmental education are the Reconstruction and Development
Programme (ANC 1994), the White Paper on Education and Training (South Africa 1995) and the
White Paper on Environmental Management (South Africa 1997).
With regards to the institutionalization of environmental education in formal education, the Tbilisi and
NGO Forum principles have been used as guidelines. In the next section, I deal with the implementation
of environmental education in the school curriculum. The implementation of EE in formal education
has been fraught with difficulties internationally. I elaborate on these difficulties in sections 3.3.3, 3.3.4
and 3.3.5.
3.3 IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

CURRICULUM
In the institutionalization of EE in secondary schools, tensions have been experienced between

maintaining its holistic nature and the school curriculum that is organized into fragmented disciplines.
The aims of school education often clash with the goals of environmental education (see Buzhar 2004;
Lam 2007; Lee 2000; Le Grange & Reddy 1997; Stevenson 1987). A number of models have been tried
in an effort to incorporate EE in the secondary school curriculum.
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3.3.1 Incorporation of EE in the secondary school curriculum
UNESCO (1977) proposed a number of models through which EE could be incorporated into the
secondary school curriculum. In the first option, EE could be introduced as a separate subject called
Environmental Studies whose status would be equal to that of the other examinable subjects. The
subject could be taught by trained teachers. This option ensures that EE is not marginalized as often
happens in the infusion model. The main objection of education authorities to this proposal has been
that school curricula are already too overcrowded to accommodate more subjects. The other
disadvantage is that the goals of teaching other subjects might clash with the EE aims, resulting in the
trivialization of the latter. The introduction of Environmental Studies was tried in the UK with limited
success because the subject failed to compete with established, overlapping subjects such as geography
and biology (Goodson 1987; 1993; 1996).
The second option is that EE could be implemented in the form of environmental themes in vehicle
subjects such as geography, history, biology, physics and other science subjects. According to Knapp
(2000: 36), this option involves a block approach “in which separate and distinct environmental
education courses are offered.” The main disadvantage of this option is that the effective teaching of the
environmental themes would depend on the personal commitment and competence of the teachers.
Additionally, the themes covered might not have any direct relationship with local environmental
issues.
The third option is the integration or infusion of EE into carrier subjects such as science, geography and
history. The second and third options are interdisciplinary approaches. According to the Tbilisi
principles (UNESCO 1978) (see Box 3.1) and NGO Forum principles (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005) (see
Box 3.2), EE in the school curriculum should be interdisciplinary. This means that the environmental
themes and concepts which are integrated or infused in different subjects at secondary school level can
be studied from different perspectives, for example science, geography, history etc (Loubser 1997). The
perspectives from different subjects are likely to give a holistic approach to each environmental issue.
Palmer (1997) observes that the teaching of such subjects as geography, geology, biology, physics and
chemistry give students the ecological perspective. However, teaching EE within school subjects tends
to fragment the EE concepts, making it difficult to implement the holistic perspective and to achieve
values education (Tilbury, Coleman & Garlick 2005).
According to UNESCO (1977), the most effective model involves a complete overhaul of the
curriculum. Curriculum change could include the introduction of new content that incorporates EE
concepts, practical work and pedagogical approaches underpinned by progressive theories of education.
For curriculum change to be successful, it could be preceded by research and the testing of the
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feasibility of theory through pilot projects in a few schools (UNESCO 1977). The advantage of this
model is that it is possible to align curriculum goals with those of education for sustainability (Huckle
& Stirling 1996). An illustration of this option is the South African primary and lower secondary
education, (GET band Grades R-9), where cross-curricular approaches to teaching and learning content
are followed (Loubser 1997). Boundaries between different subjects have been removed to create
learning areas. There are thus more opportunities for implementing a holistic approach in the teaching
and learning of EE at this level (see also Section 3.3.3) (Le Grange 2003; Mosidi 1998).
3.3.2 Approaches to the teaching and learning of EE
A number of strategies and methods have been suggested for the effective teaching and learning of EE.
These are clearly outlined in the Tbilisi and NGO Forum principles (see Section 3.1.2). The
interdisciplinary approach is recommended in order to promote the holistic nature of EE. Furthermore,
the teaching and learning programmes should integrate knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and actions.
A practical approach to problem solving and experiential learning in the local environment are also
recommended. The problem-solving approach could help learners to clarify values and to develop and
apply critical thinking skills. Additionally, EE lessons should preferably be learner-centred,
participatory and flexible so as to encourage democratic processes. This means that some of the issues
related to human rights and social justice can be addressed in the teaching and learning programmes.
One of the NGO Forum principles is that indigenous knowledge should be tapped and taught in EE
lessons so as to introduce a local focus into the learning programmes. The NGO Forum principles go
further than the Tbilisi principles in that a socially critical approach to EE is suggested in the second
principle: “Environmental education, whether formal, non-formal or informal should be grounded in
critical and innovative thinking in any place or time, promoting the transformation and construction of
society” (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005: 43). This view has implications for strategies and methods used by
teachers. Sterling (2001), cited by Eames, Cowie & Bolstad (2008: 48) calls for “a significant re-
orientation of the pedagogical approaches being used, with greater attention to approaches that are
transformative, that give students the tools to live and act sustainably.”
In the South African context, the Environmental Education Policy Initiative (EEPI) endorsed the Tbilisi
and NGO Forum principles relating to EE strategies mentioned above. The organization called for a
change in teaching and learning strategies from teaching for awareness towards skills and action-based
learning in all learning institutions, including teacher education colleges and schools. Clacherty (1995:
15) suggests that pedagogical approaches should shift from transmission of information to “more active
participation in learning” and that teaching and learning programmes should have the following
characteristics:
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 A move towards thinking skills and problem-solving, towards responsibility and awareness of the
consequences of actions. Methods should include case studies, issues-based work and practical involvement
in real local issues. Such work should ideally reflect the following characteristics:
 local focus
 participatory (within and across learning institutions)
 across boundaries (social, economic, school, college local authority)
 problem-solving focus
 involve local community (industry, local authority, civic structures etc)
 Teachers and students should solve problems together; the teacher’s role is to create opportunities for such
learning. Active learning, as opposed to transmission, should allow students to feel part of the education
process; learning to take responsibility for themselves and their actions.
 The overall style should be based on dialogue and interaction, hands-on work, learning in the context of
environmental problems, issues and processes (Clacherty 1995: 15).
In addition to the above strategies and methods, Dreyer & Loubser (2005) suggest the use of some of
the following techniques in order to promote active learning: questioning, discussions, debates, stories,
guest speakers, peer teaching, cooperative group work, experiments, excursions and projects. In Section
2.6.4, I dealt with enquiry learning and showed that it is an appropriate pedagogical approach for
teaching EE in school geography because it is learner-centred and encourages active learning. Enquiry
learning is recommended for implementing values education. In section 3.3.6, I relate these strategies
and methods to geography education that incorporates environmental concerns because this research
focuses on the implementation of EE and ESD through the geography curriculum.
Palmer (1997) observes that EE was dominated in the 1970s by teaching about nature using the “show
and tell” pedagogical approach which incorporated experiential fieldwork or education in the
environment. There was an attempt to teach education for the environment through values education in
the 1980s. In the 1990s “action research and student-led problem-solving fieldwork” have been
introduced in order to teach education for the environment (Palmer 1997: 6). However, it is an
exception rather than the norm for schools to be characterized by the following activities which are a
model for education for the environment:
 personal involvement of students and emotional commitment;

 interdisciplinary learning and research;
 reflective action to improve environmental conditions; and,
 involvement of students in decision making or problem finding, in procedures, and in monitoring their work
(Palmer 1997: 7).
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The failure to implement the recommended model of education for the environment stated above has
been attributed to a number of barriers (see Sections 3.3.3, 3.3.4 and 3.3.5).
The focus now turns to the South African context. Significant progress has been made, towards the
institutionalization of EE in formal education, especially at policy level. However, more research is
required in order to determine how teachers are implementing policy so as to identify the issues that
need to be addressed with regards to the implementation of EE and ESD in formal education. This
research on the implementation of EE and ESD in geography education aims to fulfil this need.
3.3.3 The implementation of environmental education in formal education in South Africa
During the period before democracy rule, there was very little environmental education in formal
education (Clacherty 1994; Mosidi 1998; Reddy 2000). The subject-based curriculum and transmissive
teaching methods (see also Section 2.6.5.1) presented difficulties for the implementation of EE due to
its interdisciplinary nature (Ballantyne & Oelofse 1989). Furthermore, the school syllabuses dealt with
environmental topics rather than issues, with a “great reliance on the provision of facts about a topic,
but very little critical discussion, clarification of values, problem-solving and the like” (Clacherty
1994: 58). In such a scenario, Clacherty argues, the goals of EE cannot be achieved.
An alliance between the state and civil society, known as the Environmental Education Policy Initiative
(EEPI), was formed in 1992 in order to develop curriculum policy within formal education.
EEPI adopted a participatory and open-ended approach to curriculum policy development (Clacherty
1994; Lotz-Sisitka 2002). Some of the deliberations and resolutions of EEPI’s National Education Co-
ordination Committee (NECC) were included in the 1995 White Paper on Education and Training
which gives guidelines on curriculum development in EE (Mosidi 1998: 20; Lotz-Sisitka 2002: 105):
…environmental education, involving an interdisciplinary, integrated and active approach

to learning, must be a vital element of all levels and programmes of education and training
system, in order to create environmentally literate and active citizens and ensure that all
South Africans, present and future, enjoy a decent quality of life through the sustainable
use of resources (South Africa 1995: 18).
The Department of Education thus committed itself to the implementation of EE in formal education as
a cross-curricular and interdisciplinary field (Lotz-Sisitka 2002; Mosidi 1998).
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In 1996 EEPI eventually became the Environmental Education Curriculum Initiative (EECI), a
partnership between the state and civil society, which focused on formal education curriculum policy
development (Irwin & Lotz-Sisitka 2005; Lotz-Sisitka 2002; Mosidi 1998). Members of staff from the
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, provincial government education departments and
environmental education practitioners participated in defining EE in the new outcomes-based education,
C2005.
The environment was included as one of the phase organisers as well as in some of the specific
outcomes in C2005 (Lotz-Sisitka & Raven 2001). Other phase organisers were society, personal
development, health and safety, entrepreneurship and communication. The phase organisers provided “a
context and focus through which specific outcomes [could] be achieved at all levels and phases within
General Education and Training” (Lotz, Tselane & Wagiet 1998: 5). The inclusion of the environment
theme among the phase organisers ensured that environmental education activities would be part of the
learning programmes in each of the eight Learning Areas of all the GET phases – Foundation,
Intermediate and Senior phases (Le Grange 2002). Thus, a cross-curricular approach to teaching
environmental education could now be used. The advantage of a cross-curricular approach is that
environmental education can be implemented more holistically, unlike in individual career subjects
where environmental themes tend to be fragmented into unrelated environmental knowledge (see also
Section 3.3.1).
In section 1.2.2, I explained that the implementation of C2005 which integrated EE was fraught with
difficulties. The teachers experienced difficulties in implementing OBE, some of which were related to
designing teaching and learning programmes around phase organisers such as environment. The
Learning for Sustainability project for the FET band and the National Environmental Education
Programme for the GET band (NEEP-GET) were launched in order to resolve the design and
implementation problems of the new curriculum. These programmes specifically focused on assisting
the teachers to implement EE integrated in the new curriculum.
According to Maila (2003), the Learning for Sustainability project was run by a NGO which was
financed by the Danish government through the Danish Cooperation for Environment and Development
(DANCED). The Learning for Sustainability project was implemented in only two provinces,
Mpumalanga and Gauteng. The project ran for five years from 1996 to 2000 during the period of the
development, launching and implementation of the new C2005. This was a pilot project aimed at
providing training and support to teachers through INSET programmes. It was meant to help them in
the process of designing teaching and learning programmes that integrated the phase organiser
environment in the new curriculum. Additionally, teachers would be assisted with developing teaching
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and learning materials. According to Janse van Rensburg & Mhoney (2000), the Learning for
Sustainability project aimed to:
 facilitate a shift from content-based to an outcomes-based approach to teaching;

 encourage and provide training in learner-centred approaches;
 introduce the action research approach in professional development and in processes of curriculum
development and solving curriculum related issues; and,
 promote participatory approaches in the INSET programmes.
The experiences and lessons learnt in this project were applied in the implementation of the NEEP-GET
programme (Maila 2003).
Following the recommendations of the Curriculum Review Committee (Chisholm et al 2000) (see also
Section 1.2.2), a revised national curriculum document was introduced (Department of Education
2002a). Phase organisers, including “environment”, were removed from the revised curriculum, and this
resulted in a number of challenges regarding the integration of environment in the curriculum (Lotz,
Tselane & Wagiet 1998). The teachers not only had difficulties in implementing OBE, but they also
faced challenges in identifying and interpreting environmental learning opportunities in the policy
documents as well as in incorporating environmental education into the teaching and learning
programmes. Some of the challenges were related to lack of awareness of appropriate pedagogical
approaches recommended for implementing the new curriculum. The National Environmental
Education Programme for the GET band (NEEP-GET) was set up in order to address these concerns.
NEEP-GET was set up in the Department of Education to enhance the integration of environmental
education in the revised curriculum and to improve the capacity of teachers in Grades R-9 (GET) to
implement environmental education incorporated in the OBE curriculum (Wagiet 2002). The NEEP-
GET focused on four elements of the implementation cycle, namely: curriculum policy development,
materials development, professional development, and school-based implementation. The programme
was expected to contribute to the “redesigning” of the curriculum because it was implemented
immediately after the review of C2005. The shortage of Learner Support Materials for teaching
environmental education would also be addressed, especially in previously disadvantaged schools. In-
service Education and Training (INSET) programmes would be conducted in order to improve the
capacity of teachers to implement environmental education. The curriculum review committee had
identified inadequate training as one of the main challenges facing teachers in the implementation of
C2005. The programme encouraged school-based environmental education activities. According to
Lotz, Tselane & Wagiet (1998: 5), the teachers were expected to develop school-based learning
programs in order “to cater for the learners’ needs, available resources and the local environment.” The
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main advantage of school-based learning programs is that they can provide opportunities for teachers
and learners to address local environmental issues (Lotz-Sisitka & Raven 2001).
In the Revised National Curriculum Statement, the environment and sustainability are embodied in one
of the principles that underpin the curriculum: social justice, a healthy environment, human rights and
inclusivity. This principle is infused in all learning area statements as illustrated by the inclusion of
issues related to “poverty, inequality, race, gender, age, disability … HIV/AIDS” in the curriculum
(Department of Education 2002a; 10) as well as the condition of the biophysical environment. The
environment is incorporated in the learning outcomes and the assessment standards in all the learning
areas. As a follow-on of the training that had been conducted through NEEP-GET, guidelines for
incorporating environmental learning in the lessons were developed in all Learning Areas and supplied
to the teachers (Department of Education 2004; NEEP-GET 2004).
According to Wagiet (2002: 30), the NEEP-GET programme underscored that environmental learning
programmes should impart knowledge, skills and values using active learning approaches. Furthermore,
the learning programmes should promote critical thinking as well as “involvement and action” in local
environmental issues.
In the FET band there is a strong focus on environmental justice (see also Section 2.2.6), infused in all
subjects (Lotz-Sisitka 2002). This means that the need to implement EE and ESD has been addressed at
policy level at both the GET and the FET band. However, it appears that the Department of Education
and some of the institutions of higher learning have concentrated more on enhancing the
implementation of environmental education in the GET band, as illustrated by their participation in the
NEEP-GET nationally. Programmes such as the NEEP-GET have assisted the Gr R-9 teachers to
translate policy to practice, whereas no such programmes have focused on the Gr 10-12 teachers at
national level. Similarly, more research seems to have mainly focused on the implementation of
environmental education in the GET band, for example Ballantyne (1999), Le Grange (2003); Lotz-
Sisika & Raven (2001), Maila (2003) and Reddy (2000). The implementation of EE and ESD in the
FET band appears to have been neglected.
This research, which focuses on the implementation of EE and ESD in the FET geography curriculum,
will go a long way towards filling in this gap. I aim to explain how teachers are translating policy into
practice as well as the challenges they encounter in implementing environmental education through the
geography curriculum in the FET band.
Diverse strategies have been used to implement environmental education in different countries. The
focus now turns to the implementation of EE and ESD in other contexts.
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3.3.4 The implementation of EE and ESD in other contexts
In the following sub-sections, I deal with the implementation of EE and ESD in three countries:
Tanzania, England and Poland. I chose these examples because they are at different stages in the
implementation process, ranging from conservation education to education for sustainable development.
These examples provide, in my opinion, varying discourses and perspectives on the implementation of
EE and ESD. Additionally, they provide a range of approaches and positions which were enriching to
me in this study. However, one common barrier to the effective teaching of environmental concerns
infused in the subjects in all three countries is the emphasis on transmitting knowledge and limited
skills to the detriment of the development of attitudes and values required for responsible environmental
behaviour.
3.3.4.1 Environmental education in Tanzania
This section mainly focuses on the implementation of EE at the primary school level, due to
accessibility of the relevant literature (Hogan 2007; Kimaryo 2011; Makundi 2003; Taylor 1998). At
policy level, Makundi (2003) states that environmental education statements were incorporated into the
Tanzanian Education and Training Policy (URT 1995) in the mid 1990s. Although these environmental
statements still focused on addressing problems related to the biophysical environment, they provided
guidelines for incorporating environmental education into the school curriculum (Makundi 2003).
According to Hogan (2007), a document on Guidelines for Environmental Education in Primary
Schools was later produced by a special unit on environmental Education, recently established by the
Ministry of Education and Culture in order to promote the implementation of environmental education
in formal education.
Kimaryo (2011) reveals that environmental education is infused in all primary school subjects such as
social studies, science, mathematics, vocational skills, personality and sports, information
communication and technology and languages. It is taught as content in some subjects, and as a
teaching and learning resource or learning tasks in others. In the most recent curriculum documents, the
largest amount of environmental education content is found in social studies, science, and vocational
skills (Kimaryo 2011). In these subjects, the focus is on education about the environment and there is
much less concern with education in or education for the environment (Kimaryo 2011). This means that
the teachers still focus more on transmitting environmental knowledge and they neglect the teaching of
skills, attitudes and values as well as commitment towards resolving environmental problems.
Other barriers have hindered the successful implementation of EE in the primary school curriculum,
such as those reported by Taylor (1998). Firstly, the assessment policy excluded EE from the
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examinations. Secondly, pre-service teacher-training programmes had not yet integrated EE into the
training courses so as to adequately prepare the teachers to implement EE in the school curriculum.
Additionally, there were no in-service courses to assist the practising teachers. Thirdly, instructional
materials for teaching EE were not available. Fourthly, the government still had to design an
environmental education policy in order to provide guidelines for its implementation in formal
education. More recently, Kimaryo (2011) established that Tanzanian primary school teachers are
experiencing many obstacles in their effort to incorporate environmental education into the teaching and
learning programmes. These were categorised into curriculum related barriers, teaching and learning
factors and teacher related factors. Curriculum related barriers have to do with the fact that the teacher
participants felt that the syllabuses were not clear. Some of them had difficulties in identifying the
environmental content in the syllabuses. Barriers related to teaching and learning factors include
shortage of time, large class sizes and lack of teaching materials. Teacher related factors include lack of
competence to teach environmental education and lack of support from colleagues and administration.
It appears that some of the barriers identified by Taylor (1998) have persisted, such as the issues related
to teacher competence and lack of teaching materials.
3.3.4.2 Environmental education in England
Chatzifotiou (2002; 2006) observes that the education policy discourse in England shifted from
environmental education to education for sustainable development in the late 1990s without explaining
the links between the two in order to make the implementation process easier for the teachers. The
revision of the national curriculum (DfEE 1999) has included the incorporation of sustainable
development in the aims and content of subjects across all the key stages (Reid, Scott & Gough 2002)
as well as in the non-statutory guidelines. The non-statutory guidelines stipulated that education for
sustainable development can be covered in Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and
citizenship education (Chatzifotiou 2002; 2006).
There are a number of barriers that have militated against the implementation of EE and ESD in formal
education in England. First, the statutory guidelines emphasised the teaching of core subjects to enable
the learners to acquire competencies in basic skills related to numeracy, literacy and Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) at primary school level (Key Stages 1 and 2). Chatzifotiou (2002;
2006) argues that the need to achieve predetermined outcomes (in the form of competencies in basic
skills) could result in ESD incorporated in the subjects being taught as information-based knowledge.
As a result, the teaching of attitudes, values and skills required to resolve environmental problems is
likely to be neglected as the teachers focus on information-based knowledge. This concern was raised
earlier by Le Grange & Reddy (1997) with regards to the integration of environmental concerns in the
OBE curriculum in South Africa. Secondly, the teachers were not legally bound to teach ESD in the
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non-statutory parts of the curriculum such as PSHE and citizenship education. Consequently, there was
no guarantee that ESD would be taught effectively in these aspects of the curriculum (Chatzifotiou
2002). Thirdly, the implementation of ESD is often regarded as a burden. Reid, Scott & Gough (2002:
249) state that “work related to sustainable development continues to be seen as a costly bolt-on to
existing programmes, rather than as a means and opportunity [to better] achieve existing goals.” The
teachers struggle with not only the meaning of ESD, but also with how they can implement it in the
teaching and learning programmes. Chatzifotiou (2006) attributes the difficulties of implementing ESD
to the fact that the curriculum documents do not define it clearly and that the guidelines for
implementing ESD are insufficient.
Furthermore, the implementation of ESD has been done through the sustainable schools framework that
integrates the curriculum, the school and the immediate community (Scott 2009). Besides focusing on
what is taught in the school, the sustainable schools framework promotes visionary school leadership,
good management of resources and a symbiotic relationship between the school and the community. All
these elements are integrated in such a way as to work towards achieving sustainable schools and
community environments. According to an evaluation report from Ofsted (2008: 5)
(http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/schools-and-sustainability), only a minority of schools managed to
implement education for sustainable development satisfactorily. These schools had made strides
towards achieving the goal of integrating the curriculum, the school and the community. However, in
the majority of schools, education for sustainable development was marginalised in the school
curriculum. The promotion of sustainability was relegated to extracurricular activities involving only a
minority of learners. Furthermore, the report stated that primary schools were more successful than
secondary schools in promoting sustainability.
3.3.4.3 Environmental education in Poland
Environmental and ecological content is infused in the curricula of all subjects at various levels in the
education system in Poland (Grodzińska-Jurczak 2004). Environmental education programmes at
primary school level mainly focus on addressing ecological issues, with the main vehicle for
environmental education in upper primary school being integrated science (Buchcic & Grodzińska-
Jurczak 2004). At secondary school level (gymnasium), the environmental education content is mainly
infused in geography and biology but it is greater in the life sciences especially in biology (Gajuś-
Lankamer 2004). The implementation of environmental education is therefore biased towards the
science subjects. Additionally, environmental education is taught through an interdisciplinary
environmental education track and also through extracurricular activities. At high school level (post-
gymnasium), environmental education is also offered as a separate subject in addition to the
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environmental track and through extra-curricular activities. It is also infused in different subjects (Cichy
2004).
According to Gajuś-Lankamer (2004), the environmental track, implemented by the science teachers,
mainly deals with issues of conserving the biophysical environment. Even in those secondary schools
where interdisciplinary teams had been formed, they mainly consisted of science (biology and
chemistry) and geography teachers (Gajuś-Lankamer 2004). The multi-disciplinary model, which is not
as effective as the interdisciplinary model of implementing the environmental education track, seemed
to be fairly common (Gajuś-Lankamer 2004).
According to the new education policy implemented since the late 1990s, the teacher’s role is no longer
that of a dispenser of knowledge, but he/she is expected to mediate learning in order to help the learners
to acquire the knowledge and skills on their own (Grodzińska-Jurczak 2004). This means that learner-
centred approaches and active learning are being encouraged in the new curriculum. These pedagogical
approaches are more appropriate for the implementation of EE (see Section 3.3.2). What happens in
practice at the lower level of the education system, however, is different from the policy rhetoric.
Inappropriate pedagogical approaches such as “talks and lecture” are often used at primary school level
with minimal fieldwork and other approaches that promote active learning (Buchcic & Grodzińska-
Jurczak 2004). At secondary school level (gymnasiums), the most common teaching methods are talks,
textbooks and discussions. The teachers tend to promote passive learning and rote learning. Pedagogical
approaches that promote active learning such as excursions, fieldwork, computer-assisted learning,
practical work and problem-solving approaches are rarely used (Gajuś-Lankamer 2004). In contrast, at
high school level (post-gymnasium) it appears as if learners engage in more active learning in addition
to being taught through the traditional lecture method. According to Cichy (2004), the learners do much
practical work involving observation, measurement and experimentation as they monitor some
environmental problems. They also write reports on their findings which they occasionally present
using computers and engage in discussions and seminars. Other approaches include educational games
such as simulation and brain-storming.
An evaluation of the effectiveness of the implementation of the environmental education track revealed
a number of challenges and prospects. Most of the school principals were not involved in the
implementation of environmental education programmes (Grodzińska-Jurczak 2004). Additionally,
there was generally a low level of competence among the teachers and as a result, most teachers lacked
the commitment to teach EE (Gajuś-Lankamer 2004). The low level of competence explains why the
teachers continue to use inappropriate pedagogical approaches mentioned above. However, biology and
geography teachers were found to be more committed to teaching EE and had taken the responsibility
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for the effective teaching of EE. They were better trained and they used the most appropriate
pedagogical approaches, such as fieldwork (Grodzińska-Jurczak 2004).
In each of the three countries, the goals of teaching EE and ESD are not likely to be fully achieved
because of the barriers that have been highlighted such as the focus on knowledge transmission, lack of
training of the teachers, lack of commitment from the teachers and the narrow scope of environmental
education especially in Poland. In the next section the discussion mainly focuses on barriers related to
school organization, unavailability of resources in some schools and the role of teachers.
3.3.5 Barriers to the effective implementation of EE in the school curriculum
School organization can be a barrier to the achievement of environmental education aims. The decisions
that teachers make on what pedagogical approaches to use are mainly influenced by school
organizational elements such as syllabuses and examinations (Ballantyne & Oelofse 1989; Lee 2000;
Stevenson 1987; UNESCO 1977). Teachers often teach fragmented factual information using
transmissive pedagogical approaches so as to complete syllabuses in time for examinations.
Additionally, teachers feel that the need to maintain order and discipline in the classrooms justifies their
use of teacher-centred pedagogies (Lee 2000; Stevenson 1987). Furthermore, rigid time tables hinder
the use of experiential learning and problem-solving approaches through fieldwork (see Section 3.3.7)
because of the shortage of time for these activities. Many studies have identified lack of class time as a
major barrier to effective teaching of EE (Ballantyne 1999; Braus 1995; Ham & Rellergert-Taylor
1988; Ham & Sewing 1988; Ko & Lee 2003; Reddy 2000).
Shortage of resources is a serious problem in African countries such as Madagascar, where a significant
percentage of the population has no access to schools and some of the existing schools are overcrowded
(Korhonen & Lappalainen 2004). The problem of shortage of resources is not only limited to Africa.
This is what Buzhar (2004: 81) says about the situation in Macedonia in Eastern Europe:
“Most primary and secondary school teachers are forced to rely only on the most
fundamental educational devices (i.e. textbooks and blackboards), as a result of the bad
financial situation of their schools. Some rural areas lack the most basic facilities: the
classrooms are often inadequately heated, with draughty windows, leaky roofs, and
inadequate sanitary facilities; while there are even some schools in danger of complete
collapse, due to the chronic-lack of maintenance and repair.”
The problems described above negatively impact on strategies and methods that the teachers are likely
to use in teaching EE. Under such conditions teachers are likely to teach education about the
environment through transmissive methods, due to shortage of resources.
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Barriers related to teacher competence include lack of understanding of what EE is. This arises largely
from lack of training in EE theory and method (Ballantyne 1999; Buzhar 2004; Cutter-Mackenzie &
Smith 2003; Ham & Rellergert-Taylor 1988; Ham & Sewing 1988; Knapp 2000; Korhonen &
Lappalainen 2004). Research conducted in Botswana established that some teachers interpret EE in the
policy documents as referring to environmental management activities and environmental science
(Ketlhoilwe 2007). Such interpretations of EE have implications on pedagogical approaches used and
on the effectiveness of the teaching and learning programmes. With regards to the implementation of
EE and ESD in South Africa, Reddy (1994) observed that many teachers were:
not familiar with environmental education processes and practices, as these were initiated
and conducted in an ad hoc manner by individual teachers, non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) and other non-formal bodies.
As a result, the “disjuncture between visible policy and visible practice” (Lotz-Sisitka 2002: 112)
among teachers continued to be a major problem in the implementation of EE in South Africa.
Furthermore, lack of teacher competence is reflected in the dominant worldview concerning knowledge
that is at odds with EE aims, strategies and methods (Buzhar 2004; Stevenson 1987). Drawing from
Robottom (1987), Fien & Rawlings (1996: 12), criticise the “contrast between the practical classroom
theories of many teachers, which stress academic knowledge, didactic teaching, and classroom order,
and the more progressive pedagogical theory underlying goals of value transformation and social
change in environmental education.”
Teacher attitudes or receptivity to change can also adversely influence the success of environmental
education programmes in schools. A number of studies have shown that teachers’ resistance to
innovation may be a barrier to the implementation of new education policies (Lee 2000; Tilbury,
Coleman & Garlick 2005).
The focus now turns to the incorporation of environmental concerns in geography education. In Section
3.3.1, I pointed out that geography is often used as one of the vehicle subjects for teaching EE and ESD.
In a subject-based curriculum such as the South African high school context, geography can play a
leading role in the teaching of EE and ESD because of its concern with human-environment
relationships and its interdisciplinary nature (see Section 2.1).
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3.3.6 The incorporation of environmental concerns in geography education
Geography has been regarded as one of the main vehicles for teaching environmental education (see
Section 3.3.1) because there are overlaps between the two (Ballantyne 1999; Cowie 1997; IGU-CGE
1992; Kent & Jackson 2000; McKeown-Ice 1994; Mosidi 1998; Reid 2002; Tilbury 1997; Williams
1996). Williams’s (1996) view is that “much of what is studied in geography is focused on the
environment, and much of what is considered to be environmental education is very nearly the same as
what geography educators research, write and teach in their work.” According to Ballantyne (1999), the
aims of both environmental education and geography are similar. Both disciplines aim to promote
“caring environmental attitudes, values and behaviour in students.”
Environmental education can greatly benefit from geography content and methodology (see also
Sections 2.6.4 and 3.3.2). Geography is concerned with the interactions between humans and the
physical environment and contributes to an understanding of the processes that affect the environment
(Corney & Middleton 1996; Cowie 1997; Haubrich, Reinfried & Schleicher 2007; IGU-CGE 1992;
Tilbury 1997; WWF 1988). The study of geography thus promotes an interest in the management and
protection of the environment. Furthermore, geographical understanding is critical to environmental
education because environmental problems have a spatial dimension (Haubrich, Reinfried & Schleicher
2007; IGU-CGE 1992; Tilbury 1997; WWF 1988). Some geographical concepts such as sustainable
development, exploitation, stewardship and responsibility, respect, protection, dependence and
interdependence, co-operation, urbanization and industrialization, globality, complexity, citizenship,
and equity are “integral” to the field of environmental education (Tilbury 1997: 108). Furthermore,
some approaches which are used in geography education can significantly contribute to learners’
environmental education. These approaches include problem-solving and enquiry-based learning (see
Section 2.6.4), role-play, simulations and fieldwork. The learners become actively involved in practical
investigations and environmental management in the local area (Tilbury 1997). Through enquiry-based
learning, learners are more likely to gain the skills required “to understand the detail of specific
environmental issues and to take action as responsible citizens” (Corney & Middleton 1996).
From the perspective of geography education, Lucas’s (1972) categories of environmental education
programmes (see Section 3.1.1.2) are applicable. Education about the environment enables learners to
obtain knowledge and understanding of physical and human systems and their interaction through
studying the local and wider environment (Corney & Middleton 1996; Palmer 1997). Education in (or
through) the environment enables learners to learn skills using the environment as a “resource for
learning, through fieldwork which is student-centred” (Corney & Middleton 1996: 325). Education for
the environment develops from the first two approaches (see section 3.1.1.2). Its aim is to “promote
informed concern, commitment to an environmental ethic and encouragement for students to take
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responsibility for their own behaviour” (Corney & Middleton 1996: 325). Education for the
environment can be described as “education for sustainability” (Huckle 1993). Henderson & Tilbury
(2004), cited by Tilbury & Wortman (2006: 197), argue that education for sustainability concerns a
change in focus from concentrating only on what content to teach students, to “envisioning schools as a
place where students, adults and the community interact and learn together.”
Corney & Middleton (1996) advise geography teachers to be aware of the distinctions between the three
approaches to environmental education in order to facilitate the process of planning and designing
teaching and learning programmes. The definition of education for sustainability is provided by the
Environment and Development Education Training Group (EDET) (1992), cited by Corney &
Middleton (1996: 325). Education for sustainability is defined as a process which:
 enables people to understand the interdependence of all life on this planet, and the repercussions that their
actions and decisions may have both now and in the future on resources, on the global community as well as
their local one, and on the total environment;
 increases people’s awareness of the economic, political, social, cultural, technological and environmental
forces which foster or impede sustainable development;
 develops people’s awareness, competence, attitudes and values, enabling them to be effectively involved in
sustainable development at local, national and international level, and helping them to work towards a more
equitable and sustainable future. In particular, it enables people to integrate environmental and economic
decision-making;
 affirms the validity of different approaches contributed by environmental education and development
education, and the need for the further development and integration of sustainability in these and other related
cross-disciplinary educational approaches, as well as in established disciplines.
Tilbury (1997) suggests a framework for incorporating EFS into geography education programmes. She
advises teachers to be clear about what EFS entails – its aims and characteristics. According to Tilbury:
“The aim of EFS is to develop and bring about immediate improvements in quality of
physical and social environments and to promote sustainable living. The objective of EFS
is to develop knowledge, values and attitudes, skills necessary for understanding and
addressing environmental and development problems” (Tilbury 1997: 111).
The goals of EFS in geography education can be achieved through incorporating the following key
components:
 knowledge of environment and development problems;

 critical thinking skills;
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 values education; and,

 involvement and action (Tilbury 1997: 111-113).
According to Tilbury (1997), the component of knowledge of environment and development problems
involves the creation of opportunities for learners to learn about the major environment and
development problems through issues-based learning. Examples of environment and development
problems are climate change, deforestation, land degradation and desertification, depletion of natural
resources, loss of biodiversity, overpopulation, food security, drought, poverty, and urban decay (see
also IGU-CGE 1992). Furthermore, opportunities should be created for the learners to reflect on how
these issues relate to their daily lives and to “explore the term sustainable development and question
what forms of development are desirable and acceptable” (Tilbury 1997: 112). They should also be able
to reflect on how their individual lifestyle decisions, choices and actions affect the quality of the
physical and social environment. Tilbury advises that the themes of dependence and interdependence
should be integrated into the study of the environment and development problems. Teachers are urged
to promote a holistic outlook showing a multidimensional study of the environment and development
problems that includes the social, economic, political, historical, cultural and aesthetic perspectives at a
variety of scales (Corney & Middleton 1996; Tilbury 1997). Corney & Middleton (1996) point out that
the multidisciplinary approach has long been one of the main features of geography.
Concerning the component knowledge of environment and development problems, IGU-CGE (1992)
recommends its incorporation in geography education in the Charter on Geographical Education:
“The more knowledge available in the hands of educated people capable of understanding
the information, the greater the chances are of significantly reducing environmental damage
and preventing future problems. Accordingly, there is a primary need to strengthen all
countries, especially the developing ones, their entire education system, as a prerequisite to
environment and development education.”
I find the above statement rather controversial in that it appears to promote education about the
environment which helps to maintain the status quo with regards to perpetuating unsustainable lifestyles
and the environmental damage. It is education for the environment underpinned by the socially critical
perspective that is likely to instil environmental values and lifestyle changes (see Section 3.1.1.2).
Despite the above controversial statement, the IGU-CGE acknowledges the value of the geography as a
vehicle for implementing EE and ESD. The next component for incorporating EFS in geography is the
development of critical thinking skills.
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Critical thinking skills should be promoted in order to identify the root causes of environmental
problems and to reflect on personal and political contributions to the environmental problems (Le
Grange 2012a; Tilbury 1997; Tilbury & Wortman 2006). Tilbury (1997: 112), suggests that critical
thinking can be based on a number of geographical questions:
Who makes the decisions affecting the quality of the social and physical environment?
Why are they made? According to what criteria? Whose interests do they serve? Are long-
term consequences considered? Which decisions and choices affect sustainable living?
How can these be promoted? What opposition are these likely to encounter?
As learners answer these questions, they engage in an appraisal process in which they explore the value
positions of different decision-makers and examine their own environmental and political values. Le
Grange (2012b: 112) concurs with Tilbury (1997) that learners should be taught to “question and assess
their assumptions and taken-for-granted values … [and] in particular that greed, consumerism and an
unquestioning belief in science, technology, and progress” which characterise Western(ized) societies,
have resulted in unprecedented environmental damage. Corney & Middleton (1996: 330) suggest that
critical thinking skills can be developed “in investigative fieldwork; in activities involving oral work,
including discussion, role plays and simulated public enquiries; and in activities promoting aesthetic,
intuitive, expressive and scientific experiences.”
Additionally, values education should be incorporated into geography education because education for
sustainable development “is inextricably linked with values and attitudes” (Reid 2002: 224). Learners
need to be taught values for sustainable living through geography lessons. Values education should
include the teaching of values “of social responsibility, concern for all life forms, harmony with nature,
understanding and tolerance of different values and commitment to work with and for others” (Tilbury
1997: 112). Tilbury (1997) supports Corney & Middleton (1996) on the importance of values education.
Learners need to be taught about values to enable them to be aware of different value positions
affecting the quality of the environment. The last component is involvement and action.
Geography education must involve learners in real or simulated processes of environmental decision-
making and action to enable them to acquire action skills for investigating, evaluating and
implementing solutions to problems (Tilbury 1997). According to Tilbury (1995) cited by Tilbury &
Wortman (2006: 198), action-oriented approaches “are built around real and simulated action including
negotiation, persuasion, political action, ecological management, and patterns of consumption”. At an
individual level, geography education should be able to transform learners towards sustainable
lifestyles. Teachers can consider the following possible forms of action for their learners:
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 presentations to different groups of people – for example other classes, parents, students in other schools,
members of the local community;
 displays of alternative viewpoints in school, local community centres, libraries and shopping centres;
 attendance at public inquiries and public meetings;
 letters to the press, environmental groups, politicians;
 direct local action: for example, improving the school environment, initiating more sustainable practices in
school, cleaning a polluted section of the canal bank, river or coastline (Corney & Middleton 1996: 331).
Teaching and learning strategies that involve the participation of the learners are more likely to
encourage them to get involved in caring for the environment through participation in conservation
projects and engaging in environmentally sound decision-making processes as adults (Janse van
Rensburg 2000; Shallcross & Robinson 2008; Tilbury 1997; Tilbury & Wortman 2006). Participatory
learning, according to Tilbury (1997: 113), “… promotes the dynamic qualities of initiative,
assertiveness, independence, commitment, readiness to accept responsibility and creativity, all of which
are required for constructing a sustainable world.” Teachers are advised to adopt active learning
strategies such as games, simulations, and role-plays as well as class and group discussions to promote
environmental decision-making and action.
Tilbury’s (1997) views on the role of school geography in teaching EE and ESD provided me with a
useful theoretical framework for analyzing the geography curriculum, framing interview questions and
conducting discussions on EE and ESD strategies and methods with the teacher participants. In the next
paragraph, I briefly deal with geography education during the UN DESD from 2005–2014 (see also
Chapter 1).
The International Geographical Union Commission on Geography Education confirmed its commitment
to Education for Sustainable Development through a document entitled Lucerne Declaration on
Geographical Education for Sustainable Development (Haubrich, Reinfried & Schleicher 2007). The
document explains the contribution of geography education to Education for Sustainable Development
and provides guidelines to geography educators on how geography education at all levels can
incorporate ESD in the school curriculum. Some of the suggested themes that can be incorporated into
the curriculum are related to major issues in the contemporary world. It is stated in the document that:
These include a selection of issues concerning humankind and nature that are important for
life, for appropriate spatial behaviour and sustainable behaviour. Themes such as global
warming, energy depletion, overuse of non-renewable resources, population change, and
global disparities can be used. Consideration of conflicts resulting from contradictory
targets concerning environmental, economical and social sustainability is appropriate
(Haubrich, Reinfried & Schleicher 2007: 246).
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The document also provides helpful comments on how to interpret the controversial concept of
sustainable development. According to Haubrich, Reinfried & Schleicher (2007), sustainable
development touches on three components: nature, economy and society (see Section 1.1.5) and it can
be interpreted as:
“the combination of ecological, economic and societal sustainability by the development of

new production and consumption patterns, as well as new lifestyles, and last but not least
by the creation of a new ethic for the individual through lifelong education, including
Geographical Education” (Haubrich, Reinfried & Schleicher 2007: 245).
No guidelines are provided on the strategies and pedagogical approaches for teaching a geography
curriculum that incorporates the sustainable development theme in the document. The focus now turns
to geography and environmental education in South Africa, which is the context of this study.
There were concerns during the early 1990s that geography education in South Africa needed to address
the teaching and learning of environmental problems more effectively. This period coincided with the
increase in the number of environmental courses offered by geography departments in South African
universities (Section 2.5.1). The next section deals with barriers that militated against the incorporation
and teaching of environmental education in the geography curriculum during this time at school level.
3.3.7 School geography and environmental education in South Africa
As I traced the changes in the school geography content and approaches with time in sections 2.6 and
2.7, I mentioned that the changes were precipitated by the developments in academic geography.
Another factor that influenced the changes was the need to address concerns about environmental
problems (Gamble 1992; Van der Merwe 1996). In this section I elaborate on the efforts to incorporate
environmental themes in the school geography.
A number of South African academics called for the incorporation of EE into geography school syllabi
so as to address environmental concerns (Ballantyne & Artwell 1985; Ballantyne, Oelofse & Winter
1999; Cowie 1997; Gamble 1992; Hurry 1978; 1979; 1980; 1987a; 1987b; Meadows 1985; Preston-
Whyte 1983; Ramutsindela 2001; Vogel 1992; Wesso & Parnell 1992). Hurry (1978; 1979; 1980;
1987a; 1987b) made a notable contribution with regards to the value of geography and biology in
promoting conservation education. Hurry (1979: 87) argues: “What I am advocating is that we re-
examine our priorities in Geography teaching and that we all give greater consideration to the creation
of conservation awareness in our daily teaching of the subject.”
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According to Hurry (1979), geography had the potential to contribute more to conservation education
but lack of inter-subject integration between geography and other overlapping subjects promoted a
fragmented approach rather than a more holistic view of knowledge. Hurry was in favour of cross-
curricular approaches to the integration of conservation education in the school curriculum. Hurry
(1979) also observed that the fieldwork approach used in geography could promote the learning of skills
for problem-solving, but teachers do not have enough time for fieldwork (see also Section 3.3.5).
Moreover, syllabuses included the study of environmental problems, but did not mention the need for
learners to learn problem-solving skills (Ballantyne & Oelofse 1989). According to Wesso & Parnell
(1992), the teaching and learning programmes have been too examination oriented (see also Sections
2.7.2.2 and 3.3.5).
Environmental themes were incorporated through the introduction of ecology topics into school
geography syllabuses in the 1980s (see also section 2.6.5.5) (Ballantyne 1986; Cowie 1997; Hurry
1980; 1987a; 1987b; Ramutsindela 2001). Ramutsindela states that
… in 1987, the national geography curriculum introduced environmental education with the
aim that students need to develop environmental awareness and the need to feel a
commitment towards the environment by developing a caring attitude (South Africa 1987)
cited in Ramutsindela (2001: 36).
In the example of the geography core syllabus for Std 10 in 1987 given above, the “meaning of the
environment was biased towards soil, animals and plants” (Ramutsindela 2001: 36). The introduction of
environmental themes into the geography syllabuses was a response to growing global concerns about
the deteriorating quality of the environment (see also Section 3.1). The environmental content mainly
focused on the biophysical environment and downplayed the human dimension. Ramutsindela (2001)
criticizes the narrow conception of the environment that is reflected in the promotion of conservation
education.
Another shortcoming of the geography syllabus was the separation of physical geography from human
geography. According to Ramutsindela (2001), environmental issues could not be addressed effectively
in a situation where the geography syllabus emphasized the division of physical and human geography
themes. The advantage of teaching aspects of physical and human geography in an integrated manner is
that environmental concerns can be addressed more effectively (see also Sections 2.4 and 2.5.2.2)
(Hurry 1979; Preston-Whyte 1983; Vogel 1992). Lastly, Ramutsindela (2001) maintains that geography
teachers often lacked the competence to teach ecology topics incorporated in the syllabuses.
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There were no major changes in the geography secondary school syllabuses during the 1990s (see
section 2.7.2.2) (Beets & Le Grange 2008). Major changes in the geography curriculum came with the
launching of OBE and the geography NCS for FET (Gr 10-12) (Department of Education 2003b). In
section 2.7.2.2, I illustrated that the geography NCS clearly focuses on the teaching of knowledge,
skills, attitudes and values. The teaching of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values is achieved through
the teaching of the traditional geography themes (see section 2.1) and EE and ESD becase
environmental concerns are well incorporated in the curriculum as stipulated in the International
Charter on Geography Education (IGU-CGE 1992) and Lucerne Declaration on Geographical
Education for Sustainable Development (Haubrich, Reinfried & Schleicher 2007). There are a lot of
opportunities found in the current geography curriculum for teaching EE and ESD (see Section 2.7.2.2).
3.4 SUMMARY
The environmental education field developed from conservation education and was adopted in the mid-
1970s in South Africa. Lucas’s (1972) contribution on the approaches to EE – education about, in and
for the environment helped to clarify the EE field. The major milestones in the history of EE such as the
Belgrade Charter, the Tbilisi Declaration, the World Conservation Strategy, Our Common Future and
Agenda 21 helped to shape its nature, scope and implementation strategies.
Attempts to institutionalise EE in formal education had limited success due to the overcrowded school
curricula and the fragmented disciplines that prevent the implementation of the holistic perspective of
EE. Learner-centred participatory approaches that promote active learning are recommended for the
teaching and learning of EE and ESD.
In the South African context, EEPI and EECI played an important role in the curriculum development
and institutionalisation of EE in formal schooling. EEPI and EECI’s work culminated in the inclusion
of environmental education in the White Paper on Education and Training which provided guidelines
on curriculum development in EE after democracy rule. A cross-curricular approach to teaching EE is
followed at GET band but environmental concerns are infused in the subjects at FET band. Geography
can play a leading role in the teaching and learning of EE because of its interdisciplinary nature and the
similarities between the two with regards to content and methods.
The barriers that militate against the implementation EE and ESD include: lack of competence of the
teachers, teaching for examinations and insufficient time for problem-solving activities. Case studies of
EE and ESD implementation in three countries show that the transmission of knowledge is pervasive in
teacher practice. Literature on the implementation of environmental education in the South African
context has revealed that researchers have mainly concentrated on the GET band. This research
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attempts to shed light on the implementation of EE and ESD at FET level. The aim of this research
project is to find out how EE and ESD is being implemented through the secondary school geography
curriculum. In chapter 4, I deal with methodology where I expand the research design elements
mentioned in chapter 1.
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CHAPTER 4: METHODOLOGY
I traced the development of EE and ESD from conservation education in the 1960s in Chapter 3. The
institutionalization of EE and ESD in formal education has been fraught with difficulties such as the
overcrowded school curricula, the fragmented school disciplines and other barriers. Geography can be
used as an effective vehicle for teaching EE and ESD because there are overlaps between the two. Both
Geography and EE and ESD deal with the impacts of human-environment relationships.
The aim of this research project is to find out how EE and ESD is being implemented through the
secondary school geography curriculum. I would like to address questions related to: opportunities for
teaching EE and ESD in the geography NCS; the geography teachers’ perspectives on EE and ESD; the
extent to which EE and ESD are taught by the geography teachers in the lessons; pedagogical
approaches used by the geography teachers; and, the barriers to teaching EE and ESD through the
geography curriculum. In this chapter, I deal with methodology where I expand on the research design
elements outlined in Chapter 1. In the sections that follow, I elaborate on the interpretive paradigm that
underpins the research; the qualitative case study research design; the research context; and, the data
collection and analysis techniques.
4.1 THE INTERPRETIVE RESEARCH PARADIGM
According to Burrell & Morgan (1979: 227) the interpretive paradigm “embraces a wide range of
philosophical and sociological thought which shares the common characteristic of attempting to
understand and explain the social world primarily from the point of view of the actors directly involved
in the process.”
With regards to the ontological question, those who subscribe to the interpretive research paradigm
argue that there is no absolute reality. Reality or the truth is in people’s minds – in other words, the
ontology is relativist (Burrell & Morgan 1979; Litchtman 2006; McKenna, Richardson & Manroop
2011; Merriam 2009; Willis 2007). Guba & Lincoln (1994: 110) observe that, for the interpretive
researcher, “realities are apprehendable in the form of multiple, intangible mental constructions,
socially and experientially based, local and specific in nature … and dependent for their form and
content on the individual persons or groups holding the constructions.” Researchers working within this
paradigm study people or phenomena in context and the realities are constructed by both the researcher
and the participants as they interact with each other during the research process (Flick, Von Kardorff &
Steinke 2004; Henning, Van Rensburg & Smit 2004; Holloway 1997; Hudson & Ozanne 1988).
Hathaway (1995: 548) defines context “as the complete fabric of local culture, people, resources,
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purposes, earlier events, and future expectations that constitute time-and-space background of the
immediate and particular situation.”
The epistemological question also distinguishes the interpretive paradigm from other paradigms.
Researchers working within this paradigm do not seek to generalise their research findings or to
formulate universal laws (Hathaway 1995; Hudson & Ozanne 1988; Lichtman 2006; McKenna,
Richardson & Manroop 2011). They focus on “a specific phenomenon in a particular place and time.”
According to Guba & Lincoln (1994), the researcher and participants interact and work together as
partners to create the knowledge during the research process. The knowledge thus consists of
“constructions” on which the researcher and the participants have agreed. Additionally, the knowledge
that is constructed is not considered as consisting of immutable facts or truths, but is subject to constant
revision (Merriam 2002).
The goal or purpose of a research enterprise differs according to the philosophical underpinnings of the
research (Connole 1993; Guba & Lincoln 1994; Habermas 1972; O'Donoghue 2007). In the theory of
knowledge-constitutive interests, Habermas argues that the knowledge generated by humans satisfies
three categories of interests: technical control, communication, and emancipation (Ewert 1991). The
interpretive paradigm is compared to the positivist and the critical paradigms in this regard. Positivists
produce generalizations and universal laws in order to explain the phenomena. Additionally, they aim at
improved prediction and control of physical and human phenomena (Edwards & Skinner 2009; Guba &
Lincoln 1994; Hudson & Ozanne 1988; McKenna, Richardson & Manroop 2011; O’Donoghue 2007).
With regards to the goal of positivist research, O’Donoghue (2007: 9) explains:
It is this interest which leads us to want to know all the facts and figures associated with the
area of interest, and the answers are provided by empirical-analytic knowledge. The basis
of such knowledge, it is claimed, involves careful and controlled observation, where the
observer takes a dispassionate position independent of the object of observation.
According to Habermas, interpretivist researchers have a “practical cognitive” or “communication”

interest (Ewert 1991). Practical knowledge refers to “the understanding of the subjective meaning of
language and action in acting individuals and not merely the observation of observable events” (Ewert
1991: 351). The purpose of researchers working within the critical paradigm is to “unmask the
ideologies which maintain the status quo … and take social action to improve the quality of social life”
(O’Donoghue 2007: 10).
The ontological and epistemological assumptions discussed above have implications for methodology
used by researchers working within a particular paradigm. Crotty (1998: 66) supports this view in the
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statement that “whenever one examines a particular methodology, one discovers a complexus of
assumptions buried within it.”
The interpretive research paradigm applies to this research because I am trying to comprehend, with the
help of participant geography teachers who are at the coalface of the education system, how they are
implementing the new curriculum (geography NCS) that integrates environmental concerns. The
multiple realities of the actual situation can best be established by interacting with the participant
teachers so as to obtain their views on their interpretations of policy, perspectives on EE and ESD, and
explanations on strategies employed to implement the new curriculum. Furthermore, this study does not
seek to generalize the findings but the aim is to explore the “motives, meanings, reasons and other
subjective experiences that are time- and context-bound” with respect to the geography teacher
participants’ experiences of implementing the new curriculum (Hudson & Ozanne 1988: 511). Based on
these ontological and epistemological assumptions, the most suitable methodology would be qualitative
research, following a case study design.
4.2 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Qualitative research will allow the views of the participant geography teachers to be heard through
semi-structured interviews and lesson observations used for data collection. These data collection
instruments are supplemented by document analysis and qualitatively analysed questionnaires. The
teachers are given an opportunity to communicate their interpretations of policy, perspectives,
constraints as well as reasons or motives that explain their decisions and actions in their classroom
practice. The case study design enables the study to be contextualised. The school context will help the
researcher to understand the meaning of the events that are communicated by the participant teachers
(Babbie & Mouton 2001).
4.2.1 What is qualitative research?
Cresswell (1998) observes that qualitative research can be defined in two ways in the literature. There
are generic definitions of the term (Babbie & Mouton 2001; Cresswell 1998; Denzin & Lincoln 1994;
2003; Hoepfl 1997; Holloway 1997; Merrriam 2009) whereas other definitions compare qualitative
research to quantitative research (Babbie & Mouton 2001; Denzin & Lincoln 1994; 2003; Henning,
Smit & Van Rensburg 2004; Lichtman 2006). Denzin & Lincoln (1994: 2; 2003: 4-5) give the
following fairly comprehensive generic definition:
Qualitative research is multi-method in focus, involving an interpretive naturalistic

approach to its subject matter. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their
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natural settings, attempting to make sense of or interpret phenomena in terms of meanings

people bring to them. Qualitative research involves the studied use and collection of a
variety of empirical materials – case study, personal experience, introspective, life story,
interview, observational, historical, interactional, and visual texts – that describe routine
and problematic moments and meaning in individual’s lives.
Cresswell (1998) observes that Denzin & Lincoln’s definition shows that qualitative research is
grounded in the interpretive paradigm as noted above (see section 4.1). The definition also suggests the
importance of context in the use of the naturalistic inquiry approach. The aim or goal is not to explain,
predict and control (Babbie & Mouton 2001), but to understand “the meaning people have constructed
… how they make sense of their world and the experiences they have in the world” (Merriam 1998: 6).
The definition also mentions “the multiple sources of information”, implying the importance of
employing the triangulation of methods and data sources to corroborate the evidence in qualitative
research (Cresswell 1998: 15).
Qualitative research is defined by contrasting it with quantitative research in the following statement
(Denzin & Lincoln 2003: 13):
The word qualitative implies an emphasis on the qualities of entities and on processes and
meanings that are not experimentally examined or measured (if measured at all) in terms of
quantity, amount, intensity or frequency. Qualitative researchers stress the socially
constructed nature of reality, the intimate relationship between the researcher and what is
studied and the situational constraints that shape inquiry. They seek answers to questions
that stress how social experience is created and given meaning. In contrast, quantitative
studies emphasize the measurement and analysis of causal relationships between variables,
not processes. Proponents of such studies claim that their work is done from within a value-
free framework.
In the comparison given above, a number of key features distinguish qualitative research from
quantitative research. First, qualitative research is underpinned by the interpretive paradigm whereas
quantitative research is grounded on the positivist paradigm as illustrated by the “measurement” of
variables and the need to establish “causal relationships”. Second, there are differences concerning the
ontological assumptions. Reality is viewed as being of a socially constructed nature in qualitative
research, whereas “reality exists out there” for quantitative researchers. Third, the values of both the
researcher and the participants are considered in qualitative research whereas these are left out in
quantitative research so as to “free” the research process of bias. I elaborate on these features in the next
section.
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4.2.2 Features of qualitative research
According to Holloway (1997: 7), researchers should be “immersed” in the world of participants where
they collect data using strategies such as “observing, questioning and listening.” Research in the natural
setting contextualises the participants’ experiences (Flick, Von Kardorff & Steinke 2004). Context
includes conditions under which the fieldwork is conducted, the locality, as well as time and history
(Holloway 1997). There are wide variations in the socio-cultural and socio-economic contexts of the
secondary schools in which South African geography teachers work. Additionally, the context
illuminates the decisions that these participant teachers make on strategies of implementing EE and
ESD through the geography curriculum.
The rich data that is collected within a natural setting enables the researcher to write a thick
description (Babbie & Mouton 2001; Denzin & Lincoln 1994; 2003; 2008; Flick, Von Kardorff &
Steinke 2004; Holloway 1997; Lichtman 2006; Merriam 1988; 1998; 2002; 2009). A thick description
entails giving graphic accounts of events and human phenomena together with the participants’
interpretations of their experiences. Denzin (1989: 83), defines a thick description as “deep, dense,
detailed accounts of problematic experiences … It presents detail, context, emotion and the web of
social relationship that join persons to one another.” Thick description involves not only describing
facts but also developing concepts as well as generating theories, for example, grounded theory41
(Strauss & Corbin 1994). Use of thick description enables the story of how each of the participant
geography teachers grapples with the implementation of EE and ESD, to be told in sufficient detail. The
data is presented through thick description in Chapter 5.
The qualitative researcher follows an inductive approach where a great deal of rich data is collected in
the field (Hoepfl 1997; Lichtman 2006; Merriam 1988; 2002; 2009). The researcher does not begin
from an already existing theory using the deductive approach, but begins by collecting data and works
towards finding a theory. According to Merriam (1998; 7) “qualitative research findings are in the form
of themes, categories, typologies, concepts, tentative hypotheses, even theory, which have been
inductively derived from the data.” The use of thematic analysis of the qualitative data (see Section
4.5), will uncover the main themes which will be presented through thick description in Chapter 5.
Another feature of qualitative research concerns the central role of the researcher in the research
process (Babbie & Mouton 2001; Henning, Van Rensburg & Smit 2004; Hoepfl 1997; Kelly, Terre
Blanche & Durrheim 2006; Lewis 2009; Lichtman 2006; Merriam 1988; 1998; 2002; 2009). According
41
Grounded theory developed by Glaser & Strauss (1967) is a “method for generating theory inductively from data systematically gathered
through empirical observations of social phenomena within naturalistic settings” (Grubs & Piantanida 2010).
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to Kelly, Terre Blanche & Durrheim (2006: 276), the qualitative researcher is “the primary instrument
for both collecting and analysing the data” and therefore, needs to develop the skills of collecting,
analysing and interpreting qualitative data. Coffey & Atkinson (1996), cited by Lichtman (2006: 12),
illustrate the role of the researcher more clearly in the statement:
“It is through his or her eyes and ears that data are constructed … the qualitative researcher
is responsible for analysing the data through an iterative process that moves back and forth
between data collected and data that are analysed … it is the qualitative researcher who
interprets and makes sense of the data.”
I deal with my central role in the research process again in Section 4.4.5 where I describe the
importance of maintaining a research journal. The next section provides an outline of one of the
qualitative research approaches, the case study. A case study research design is used in this study.
4.2.3 The case study approach
The case study is regarded as an “approach to qualitative research” (Lichtman 2006: 73) and Cresswell
(1998) states that it is one of the five traditions of qualitative research. The other four traditions are
biography, phenomenological study, grounded theory and ethnography. Some academics consider a
case study to be a methodology (Freebody 2003; Lichtman 2006; Willis 2007; Yin 1994). According to
Stake (1994), case study inquiry is not a choice of methodology but a choice of object to be studied. It
is thus identified by attention to individual cases and not by the methods of research used. Lichtman
(2006) considers the case study to be a “method without any philosophical underpinnings.” Most case
study inquiries, however, are carried out within the interpretive framework in which the researcher
seeks to increase understanding of a particular case rather than generalization to other cases (Stevenson
2004).
The meanings of the concepts case and case study are greatly contested in the literature (Merriam 1988;
Stake 1994; Stevenson 2004). According to Stake (1994: 237), “the case is a specific … a functioning
specific … a unique bounded system.” The case may be an individual student, classroom, program or
institution (Stevenson 2004). The inquiry may focus on a single case or multiple cases. A “bounded
system” according to Cresswell (1998), is delimited by time and space. Yin (1994: 13) defines a case
study as “an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context,
especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not too clearly defined.” In this
definition Yin regards a case study as a methodology and that context is an important feature of a case
study (Stevenson 2004). Within education settings, Freebody (2003: 81) distinguishes case studies from
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ethnographies in the statement: “Case studies focus on one particular instance of educational experience
and attempt to gain theoretical and professional insights from a full documentation of that instance.”
Researchers may conduct a study using more than one case. They collect data from several cases
(Merriam 1998). According to Merriam (1998: 40), “the more cases included in a study, and the greater
the variation across the cases, the more compelling an interpretation is likely to be.” The inclusion of
multiple cases is one of the main strategies for improving the external validity or generalizability of the
findings.
I apply the case study design at two levels in the study. The first level is that of schools (see Section
4.2.3.2). There are five schools in which the study was conducted. The second level is that of the
geography teacher participants drawn from each of the five schools. Two senior geography teachers
were recruited from each of the five schools to make a multiple case sample of ten participants (see
Section 4.2.3.3). Therefore a multiple case study design applies at the level of schools as well as at the
level of the geography teacher participants. How are cases selected in a case study design?
4.2.3.1 Sampling in a case study design
Purposeful sampling is recommended for selecting a case which will be the focus of an inquiry
(Cresswell 1998; Merriam 1998; Patton 2002). Cresswell (1998) suggests the selection of cases that will
enable the researcher to learn different points of view concerning a particular problem. He then adds: “I
may also select ordinary cases, accessible cases, or unusual cases” (Cresswell 1998: 62). According to
Stake (1994), the selection of cases in a multiple case study should be guided by “balance and variety”
as well as the “opportunity to learn” from unusual phenomena and contexts presented by atypical cases.
Merriam (1998) suggests that the researcher should start by determining the criteria for selecting the
required cases. Selection based on predetermined criteria is also referred to as criterion sampling
(Patton 2002; Flick, von Kardorff & Steinke 2004). Typical case sampling, involves the selection of
suitable cases with the help of key informants. According to Merriam (1998: 62) a typical case reflects
“the average person, situation, or instance of the phenomenon of interest.” The researcher is advised to
compile a qualitative profile of a typical case in advance. This is reminiscent of criterion sampling
noted above. What should be the sample size in qualitative research?
According to Patton (2002), “there are no rules on sample size in qualitative inquiry.” The sample size
depends on a number of factors and it is up to the researchers to determine the sample size (Merriam
1998). Their decisions will be determined by considerations such as: What they want to know, “the
purpose of the inquiry, what’s at stake, what will be useful, what will have credibility, and what can be
done with available time and resources” (Patton 2002: 244). The size of a sample in qualitative research
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should not be judged using the criteria of random sampling in quantitative research. According to
Patton (2002: 245), purposeful samples in case study research “should be judged according to the
purpose and rationale of the study: Does the sampling strategy support the study’s purpose?” Patton
emphasises that what is critical in qualitative research for validity and meaningfulness to be achieved is
not the size of the sample but the richness of the information from the selected cases. Additionally, the
observational / analytical capabilities of the researcher are also more important than the sample size. In
the next section I explain how I selected the schools.
4.2.3.2 Sampling of schools
Multi-case sampling of high schools was done. This involved purposeful sampling of five high schools
using criteria that were determined in advance. The typical case sampling or criterion sampling strategy
was used (Patton 2002). The following criteria were considered before selecting the schools.
First, the selected schools are all public high schools with FET (Gr 10-12). Independent schools were
not considered because some of them follow different curricula to that of public high schools. Second,
the sample schools have geography in the school curriculum, which is the focus of the study. With the
implementation of OBE, geography in the FET band has been retained as a subject whereas in the GET
band geography has been split and incorporated into two learning areas: the Social Sciences Learning
Area and the Natural Sciences Learning Area (Ramutsindela 2001). Third, the sample schools are
representative of the socio-cultural and socio-economic context of the Western Cape. The racial
composition of the learners in the sample schools reflects South Africa’s colonial and apartheid history.
The schools were originally set up to serve the needs of different racial groups: Schools 1 and 3 were
originally built to serve the Coloured communities; School 2 mainly served White communities; and,
Schools 4 and 5 are located in Black townships. Furthermore, the schools were selected in two adjacent
administrative districts so as to reduce time and cost of travelling.
The school selection was also influenced by the medium of instruction. Being a black African
Zimbabwean national, I am not conversant in some of the local languages such as Afrikaans and
therefore I selected parallel medium schools (Schools 1, 2 and 3) as well as English medium schools
(Schools 4 and 5). Afrikaans and English are used to instruct the learners in parallel medium schools
(Western Cape Education Department 2010). Afrikaans-only medium schools were not considered in
the study as explained above. The views of Afrikaans medium teachers were, however, accommodated
through interviews conducted with them using the English language in parallel medium schools 1, 2 and
3. Additionally, the school selection was influenced by accessibility. This refers to whether the
principals could accommodate the research project in the schools or not. The accessibility of schools
will be elaborated on in Chapter 7. Of the 14 schools which were initially contacted, only 5 principals
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agreed to accommodate the research project. In order to comply with the ethical considerations (see
Appendix A:1, A:2 and A:4) agreed upon with the University of Stellenbosch, the Western Cape
Education Department and the participant teachers, the names of the schools will not be disclosed. A
detailed description of the profiles of the five schools is given in Chapter 5 (see Section 5.1.1). The next
section provides a summary of the profile of the geography teacher participants.
4.2.3.3 The sample of geography teacher participants
Two geography teachers were recruited from each of the five secondary schools in order to obtain a
sample of 10 participants, comprising 8 males and 2 females. One deputy principal, who teaches
geography and also performs the duties of a geography HOD, is included in the sample. There are three
HODs, one subject head and five ordinary teachers. There are altogether 18 geography teachers in the
five sample schools, consisting of 15 males and 3 females. This explains why the number of females in
the sample is far smaller than that of the males. The racial profile of the participants is as follows: six
Coloureds, three Blacks and one White. The demographic profile reflects the “racial” distribution of
teachers in the selected schools.
The most senior and experienced members of staff participated in the study. Eight of the ten participants
are over 40 years old whereas only two are younger than 40 years old. None of the participants is
younger than 30 years old. The teaching experience of the sample of teachers ranges from 9 to 35
years. All the participants are South African nationals who received their education and training in
South Africa. Only one of the participants worked as a teacher in a neighbouring country for five years.
Furthermore, all the participants are qualified teachers: three obtained a teaching diploma after Grade
12 and the other seven acquired their professional qualifications after a first degree. Of the three least
qualified participants mentioned above, two hold a Lower Secondary Teaching Diploma (LSTD), which
originally prepared them to teach up to Grade 9, and one holds a Higher Diploma in Education (HDE).
The latter prepared the trainees to teach up to FET level (Grades 10-12). The two participants who hold
LSTDs currently teach up to FET level and one of them is also the Social Sciences HOD in her school.
The participants all studied geography and trained to teach the subject at secondary school level.
Besides teaching, these teachers are involved in extra-curricular activities and some perform
management functions as HODs or school deputy Principal.
A more detailed profile of each of the 10 participants is provided in Chapter 5 (see Section 5.1.2). The
participants have been given pseudonyms in order to make it easier to identify them and to fulfil the
ethical requirements of anonymity. The focus now turns to a discussion of validity and reliability issues
in qualitative research.
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While quantitative researchers strive to be objective or to free the research process of bias so as to
address validity and reliability concerns, qualitative researchers acknowledge that the research process
cannot be free of bias, but is subjective (Lichtman 2006; Babbie & Mouton 2001). Therefore, the
researcher is advised to identify his / her influence on the research process and report on how he / she
dealt with it (Henning, Van Rensburg & Smit 2004).
4.2.4 Addressing research rigour: validity, reliability and objectivity
Qualitative research has been widely criticised by some academics engaged in “scientific research” for
its subjectivity which, in their view, threatens its validity and reliability and undermines its rigour
(Denzin & Lincoln 1994; Lewis 2009; Lincoln & Guba 1985). Descriptions such as “impressionistic,
anecdotal, unsystematic and biased” have been used by positivists to refer to qualitative research
(Charmaz 2006: 4). Additionally, Morse et al (2002: 14) argue that “without rigour, research is
worthless, becomes fiction, and loses its utility.” Rigour can be improved by paying attention to validity
and reliability issues in the research process.
Some academics engaged in qualitative research have suggested alternative criteria for evaluating
qualitative research (Ambert et al 1995; Corbin & Straus 1990; Denzin & Lincoln 1994; Guba &
Lincoln 1981; Lincoln & Guba 1985). Guba & Lincoln (1981) replaced the term rigour with
trustworthiness as applied to the evaluation of qualitative research. Trustworthiness is clarified by
Lincoln & Guba (1985: 290) using the following question: “How can an inquirer persuade his or her
audiences that the research findings of an inquiry are worth paying attention to?" Four components of
trustworthiness were developed by Lincoln & Guba (1985) to replace validity, reliability and objectivity
for evaluating qualitative research. Internal validity is replaced with credibility, external validity with
transferability, reliability with dependability and objectivity with confirmability as illustrated below:
 Credibility (internal validity) – The "truth" of the findings, as viewed through the eyes of those being
observed or interviewed and within the context in which the research is carried out.
 Transferability (external validity) – The extent to which findings can be transferred to other settings. In order
for findings to be transferable, the contexts must be similar. Therefore, it is the role of the researcher to
identify key aspects of the context from which the findings emerge and the extent to which they may be
applicable to other contexts.
 Dependability (reliability) – The extent to which the research would produce similar or consistent findings if
carried out as described, including taking into account any factors that may have affected the research results.
 Confirmability (objectivity) – Researchers need to provide evidence that corroborates the findings. Such
evidence should come directly from subjects and research context, rather than the researcher's biases,
motivations, or perspectives (Devers 1999: 1165).
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There are a number of suggestions on how credibility (internal validity) can be addressed in qualitative
research (Lincoln & Guba 1985). It is important to consider prolonged engagement where the
researcher remains in the field for as long as possible and engages in persistent observation until data
saturation occurs. Additionally, the use of the triangulation technique can improve the credibility of the
research. Denzin (1978), cited by Lincoln & Guba (1985: 305), proposed four types of triangulation: the
use of “multiple and different sources, methods, investigators and theories.” I used four data collection
instruments: semi-structured interviews, lesson observation, document analysis and questionnaires for
triangulation purposes in order to address the credibility of the findings.
Lincoln & Guba (1985) also suggest peer debriefing. This involves working with a colleague of the
same status who assists the researcher to review his / her “perceptions, insights and analyses” (Babbie
& Mouton 2001: 277). Constant reports and discussions of the research process and progress with the
supervisors assisted with peer debriefing.
Member checks can also enhance the credibility of qualitative research. The researcher goes back to the
participants to verify both the data and interpretations with them. Member checks have a number of
benefits. First, the intentions behind the participants’ actions or the reasons for providing certain
information can be assessed. Secondly, they give an opportunity to correct errors. Thirdly, more
information could be obtained from the participants. Fourthly, the participants cannot afterwards deny
having provided the information (Lincoln & Guba 1985). I returned to the schools for data verification
with the participants after reading the transcripts and initial coding of the interviews.
According to Lincoln & Guba (1985) data needs to be adequately documented using field notes, video
or audio tapes and they called this referential adequacy. Section 4.4.1 explains how this was applied to
semi-structured interviews.
Transferability (external validity or generalisability) cannot be easily achieved in qualitative research.

The knowledge gained in one context may not necessarily be relevant to a similar context elsewhere in
a different time frame (Babbie & Mouton 2001). However, the researcher is advised to provide a thick
description (see Section 4.2.2) and to engage in purposeful sampling in order to improve transferability
(Bradley 1993; Lincoln & Guba 1985; Patton 2002). A thick description of concepts or themes,
supported by data evidence, was used in Chapter 5 to present the story of the research findings on how
EE and ESD are being implemented through the geography subject. Purposeful sampling enables the
researcher to diversify the participants or cases so as to obtain the widest variety of information about a
specific context. This is dealt with in Sections 4.2.3.1 and 4.2.3.2 which explain purposeful sampling
and how this was applied to the selection of the sample of schools.
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Lincoln & Guba (1985) argue that there can be “no validity without reliability” and hence if a
qualitative research project is credible, it is dependable as well. Because the credibility (internal
validity) is intertwined with dependability (reliability), the techniques such as triangulation mentioned
above, which are used to enhance credibility, can also be used to improve dependability.
Because reality in qualitative research is seen through the eyes of the participants, it is value-laden and
so it is regarded as subjective (Hoepfl 1997). In order to improve the confirmability (objectivity) of the
findings, Lincoln & Guba (1985) suggest that an audit trail should be conducted in which the researcher
assesses process as well as the product. The above advice was followed in this study by examining the
following aspects of the research process: raw data, data reduction and analysis products, data
reconstruction and synthesis products, process notes, materials relating to intentions and dispositions
and instrument development information (Babbie & Mouton 2001: 278; Lincoln & Guba 1985: 319).
Lather (1986) does not agree with claims made by positivists concerning objectivity and neutrality
because, according to her, no research is value-free. The focus now turns to how ethical issues can be
addressed in a research project.
4.3 ADDRESSING ETHICAL ISSUES
The study involves teacher participants in almost all the phases of the methodology and therefore
ethical considerations are a major concern. Bogdan & Biklen (2007) recommend a number of
guidelines: informed consent, voluntary participation, respect for participants’ privacy and keeping the
participants’ identity anonymous in the published findings. Informed consent is regarded as the
foundation of ethical practice (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2007). It is defined by Diener & Crandall
(1978), cited by Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2007: 53), as “the procedures in which individuals choose
whether to participate in an investigation after being informed of facts that would be likely to influence
their decisions.”
I tried to address ethical issues before entering the field for data collection. After obtaining
authorization from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) (see Appendix A:2), I
communicated (see Appendix A:3) with a number of school principals in order to ask for permission to
conduct research in their schools. I then obtained the teachers’ consent (see Appendix A:4) before they
participated. I implemented the University of Stellenbosch ethical guidelines and the process was
supervised and evaluated by the University Ethics Committee. The evidence that ethical guidelines
were followed is provided by copies of the relevant documents, including an ethical clearance letter
issued by the University Ethics Committee (see appendix A:1). The next section provides an outline of
the research instruments used to collect data.
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4.4 THE DATA COLLECTION PROCESS
I used a number of research instruments: semi-structured interviews, lesson observation, document

analysis and questionnaires because qualitative research methods include “observing, questioning and
listening” as the researcher works with the participants in the field (Holloway 1997: 7). The
triangulation of methods and sources (see Section 4.2.4) promotes the credibility and dependability of
the findings (Lincoln & Guba 1985). Additionally, I kept a journal in order to record my thoughts about
the research process. However, the interview method was the main data collection instrument.
4.4.1 Interviews
A common definition of an interview is that it is a conversation between two people (Arksey & Knight
1999; Freebody 2003; Merriam 2009; Morgan 1997). DeMarrais (2004: 55), cited by Merriam (2009:
87), define an interview as a “process in which a researcher and participant engage in a conversation
focused on questions related to a research study.” The purpose of an interview is clarified by Patton
(2002).
According to Patton (2002), there are situations when the researcher cannot use the observation method
to collect data. It is impossible to observe what people are thinking, feeling or what their intentions are.
Under these circumstances, the researcher then uses interviews to obtain information that cannot be
collected through observation. Additionally, researchers can only find out about past events and
behaviour through conversations with people who experienced them. In certain cases, researchers can
be prevented from taking part in current events. They then resort to using the interview method to
collect information about the event. The decision to use the interview technique as the main method of
collecting data may be influenced by the kind of information that is required and whether the interview
is the best method (Merriam 2009). Dexter (1970: 11), cited by Merriam (1998), observes that
interviewing may be preferred to other data collection instruments “when … it will get better data or
more data or data at less cost than other tactics!” According to Merriam (1998), interviewing may be
the “only” way of obtaining data in certain situations.
Interviews are commonly categorised into three types according to the amount of structure required
(Arksey & Knight 1999; Bogdan & Biklen 2007; Freebody 2003; Merriam 1988; 1998; 2009). They
vary from the highly structured types in the form of questionnaires, to the unstructured types. The
structured interview is mainly used in quantitative research. Bogdan & Biklen (2007) support this in the
statement: “When the interviewer controls the content too rigidly, when the subject cannot tell his / her
story personally in his or her own words, the interview falls out of the qualitative range.” The questions
and the order in which they should be answered are determined in advance in a structured interview.
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The semi-structured interview lies in the centre, between the highly structured and the unstructured
interview.
The unstructured or open-ended interview is also referred to as a “guided conversation” (Rubin &
Rubin 1995). The participant is persuaded to talk much more on certain themes or on other themes that
might emerge during the conversation. The researcher “probes more deeply” so as to get more
information from the participant. However, the three types of interviews can be combined such that the
researcher shifts from one interview mode to another, depending on the type of information that he / she
would like to elicit at any stage of the interview (Merriam 1998). I used the semi-structured interview
because of the advantages discussed below.
Patton (2002) calls the semi-structured interview format, the interview guide approach. The researcher
follows an interview guide which consists of a set of questions to guide the interview when particular
information is required from each participant (Merriam 1988; 2009; Patton 2002). Most interviews in
qualitative research are of the semi-structured format (Arksey & Knight 1999; Merriam 1998; 2009).
The semi-structured interview has a number of advantages. First, this type of interview enables the
researcher to obtain data that can be compared across the participants (Arksey & Knight 1999; Bogdan
& Biklen 2007). Second, this interview format allows room for the emergence of new ideas and issues
which may be followed up through probing by the interviewer (Arksey & Knight 1999; Freebody 2003;
Merriam 1998; 2009). Third, the determination of issues or themes in advance enables the interview
process to cover a broad range of ideas more efficiently (Patton 2002).
Kvale (1996: 88) and Kvale & Brinkmann (2009: 102) provide practical steps for conducting a
complete interview. These include a number of stages: thematising, designing, interviewing,
transcribing, analysing, verifying and reporting. Thematising involves formulating the aim of the
interviews and deciding on the concepts to be investigated. This is followed by designing or planning
the study in such a way that the seven stages of the interview are incorporated. The interviewing stage is
then done using a guide. The practical steps for conducting a complete interview outlined above were
used in preparing the interviews.
I compiled an interview guide with two sets of questions. The first part contained questions related to
teacher practice and EE and ESD strategies (see Appendix B:2). The second part had questions aimed at
exploring the teachers’ conceptualisation and perspectives on the terms “environmental education,
sustainable development and education for sustainable development” (see Appendix B:3). All ten
participants were interviewed and the interviews lasted for 45 minutes. Four of the five school
principals were interviewed as well in order to obtain information on the school context and to find out
their views on Environmental Education programmes in their schools. The fifth principal was not
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interviewed because the information about his school is widely available in the public domain, for
example in libraries and some internet websites. The inclusion of some principals was for triangulation
purposes so as to address validity and reliability concerns through a greater number and diversity of the
data sources (Lincoln & Guba 1985). An interview guide was used as well for the principals’ interviews
(see Appendix B:4). I conducted 30 minute interviews with four of the five principals. Before
interviewing the participants I asked for permission to record the interviews and they all agreed. Getting
permission from the participants was meant to address ethical concerns (see Section 4.3).
The interviews were recorded using a digital voice recorder. I preferred this equipment to the older type
of audio recorder that uses cassette tapes because of its advantages noted by Kvale & Brinkmann (2009:
179). The sound quality is better and it can record for many hours uninterrupted. The interview data can
then be transferred directly to a computer for storage. The recordings can be played on the computer for
analysis. Transcription of the recordings can take place using a word processor. One of the advantages
of audio-recording the interview is that it enables the interviewer to focus on the interviewee and give
him / her full attention because the act of interviewing is “an interactive process” (Arksey & Knight
1999; Kvale & Brinkmann 2009; Patton 2002). The responses are captured word for word and more
accurately than manually recording the interview (Arksey & Knight 1999). This addresses internal
validity or credibility issues. Lincoln & Guba (1985) refer to documentation of data as referential
adequacy (see Section 4.2.4). Although a videotape could have been used to enable the recording of
non-verbal behaviour, I decided against using the equipment because it is “more cumbersome and
intrusive than tape recording the interview” (Merriam 2009: 109).
I transferred all the interview data into my PC and played the recordings as I transcribed them using the
computer word-processing software. Merriam (1998: 88) states that a “verbatim transcription of
recorded interviews provides the best database for analysis.” The amount of detail in a transcript
depends on the purpose of the interview. While notes summarising the main points may be sufficient for
some interviews where the researcher is interested in meanings, it may be necessary to include pauses,
hesitations, false starts and throat clearing where the researcher will engage in discourse analysis
(Arksey & Knight 1999). I removed some of the conversational features as advised by (Arksey &
Knight 1999) because I am interested in the “ideas, logic, beliefs and understandings”. In order to
improve the readability of the data, some parts of the interview conversations were edited to remove
colloquial features such as:
 abbreviations (isn’t, aren’t, weren’t) – sometimes transcribed as ‘is not’ etc.;

 verbal tics, like ‘er’ and ‘um’ – usually ignored;
 pauses – either cut or shown by three dots (…); and,
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 repetitions (for example, ‘What I mean … I mean … what I want to say is … I mean that it is a real;
problem’) – this might simply be rendered as ‘It is a real problem’ (Arksey & Knight 1999: 146).
The removal of some conversational features noted above is considered to be quite acceptable for
ethical reasons because “the publication of incoherent and repetitive verbatim interview transcripts may
involve an unethical stigmatization of specific persons or groups of people” (Kvale & Brinkmann 2009:
187). While transcribing the interviews (see Appendix B:5), I took cognizance of the need to address
ethical issues, for example to maintain anonymity of the interviews (see Section 4.3) (Kvale &
Brinkmann 2009). I then read the transcripts a few times so as to get familiar with the data in
preparation for analysis. This was followed by verification of the interview data with the participants.
The purpose of verifying the interview data is to address validity and reliability issues (see section
4.2.4). The verification exercise not only helped to clarify queries on some of the interview data but
also yielded a little more data. The focus now turns to lesson observation.
4.4.2 Lesson observation
According to Kidder (1981), cited by Merriam (1988: 88), observation when used as a research tool, has
a number of features. It “(1) serves a formulated research purpose, (2) is planned deliberately, (3) is
recorded systematically, and (4) is subject to checks and controls on validity and reliability.”
Observation is criticised on the grounds that it is subjective and as a result it is regarded as unreliable
(Merriam 1988). Patton (1980: 123) cited by Merriam (1988), points out that researchers need training
in order to improve their skills on “how to write descriptively; practicing the disciplined recording of
field notes; knowing how to separate detail from trivia … and using rigorous methods to validate
observations.” There are a number of reasons why observation might be used in the field (Merriam
1998). First, as an observer, the researcher might become aware of things which the participants take for
granted. Second, data are collected through observation for triangulation purposes, where data
previously collected by means of other research instruments (such as interviews and document analysis)
is validated. Third, the researcher can record behaviour or events as they are happening. Fourth,
observations “provide some knowledge of the context … specific incidents, behaviours and so on that
can be used as reference points for subsequent interviews” (Merriam 1998: 96). Fifth, observation is
ideal in cases where the participants are not willing to talk about a particular research topic.
A number of elements have been suggested for an observation (Bogdan & Biklen 1992; Borg & Gall
1989; Goetz & LeCompte 1984; Patton 1990; Taylor & Bogdan 1984) cited by Merriam (1998). The
researcher is advised to include the following: the setting which consists of a description of the physical
environment and context (this could be illustrated with the help of a diagram), information about the
participants, the activities they are engaged in and how they are interacting, the frequency and duration
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of their activities, the content of conversation and the particulars of the people participating in it, other
pertinent information or “subtle factors” including “what does not happen” (Patton 1990: 235) and how
the researcher’s own behaviour is influencing the actions of the participants.
Merriam (1998: 106) advises the researcher to comment on what he / she will do about his / her
influence on the scene, including general thoughts about “setting, people and activities.” Additionally,
comments could include the researcher’s “feelings, reactions, hunches, initial interpretations, and
working hypotheses.” There are concerns about the influence of the observer on what is being observed.
Kazdin (1982), cited by Merriam (1988: 95), explains why the activities of those being observed might
be altered:
“If participants are apprehensive about being judged, they may respond in socially
desirable ways; if participants are aware of being assessed, they may behave in response to
the assessment conditions; and, finally, participants may regulate their behaviours from
feedback obtained from observers – as when notes are taken or behaviour is attended to in a
particular fashion.”
The researcher is advised to monitor his or her influence on the behaviour of those being observed, to
account for the effects and to consider them when interpreting the data (Patton 1980) cited by Merriam
(1988).
There is no prescribed amount of time that should be spent in collecting data through observation nor is
the pattern specified. The observation periods may be long or they may be short and periodic depending
on what suits the researcher (Merriam 1988). The researcher needs to record what he / she observes in a
field notebook by hand or on a tape recorder in order to collect raw data for analysis later (Merriam
1998). Mechanical devices such as videotapes and tape recorders are rather obtrusive and so the
researcher could write down sketchy notes during observation and then expand them later (Merriam
1998). The researcher is advised to write out field notes on what was observed as soon as possible after
observation. A recommended format for field notes is that the researcher must begin by stating the time,
place and purpose of the observation. Additionally, it is a useful practice to describe the participants
present. According to Merriam (1988: 98) the usual content includes:
 verbal descriptions of the setting, the people, the activities;

 direct quotations or at least the substance of what people said; and
 observer’s comments – put in the margins or in the running narrative and identified by underlining,
bracketing, or the initials “OC.” Observer’s comments can include the researcher’s feelings, reactions,
hunches, initial interpretations, and working hypotheses.
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According to Babbie & Mouton (2001), the researcher is advised to include both “empirical
observations” and his / her “interpretations of them.” It is helpful to maintain a fieldwork journal in
order to write down the researcher’s reflections on the experiences in the field. The journal contains the
researcher’s “ideas, fears, mistakes, confusion, reactions to the experience” (Merriam 1988: 98). In the
next paragraph, I comment on how I used the observation method in the schools.
Lesson observation was carried out for purposes of triangulation (Lincoln & Guba 1985). I observed
one teacher in each of the five schools, that is, five out of ten teacher participants through unstructured
observation. With permission from the teachers, I engaged in overt observation where I attended classes
and wrote field notes during the lesson (see Appendix B:6). I mainly focused on the teaching method
used by the teachers and how they incorporated concerns about the environment into their lessons.
Furthermore, I paid attention to the role of teacher compared to that of the learners in the teaching and
learning process. According to my schedule, I had planned to observe at least four lessons of one
geography teacher in each of the five schools. That would have been altogether 20 lessons or about 15
hours of observation. I ended up observing only 9 lessons, which was less than half the originally
planned number. I then decided that interviews could provide more data because the teachers could then
talk about their past and present classroom practice and EE and ESD strategies.
The observation programme was interrupted by control tests which were being conducted for Grade 12
learners in some schools during the third term. The writing of these tests meant that teaching and
learning for the rest of the school was affected. In some schools the time table was temporarily altered
in order to accommodate the writing of these tests. As a result, it was difficult to locate the classes and
the teachers because some of them were involved in running the tests. One of the teachers whom I was
supposed to observe left with some learners to attend a rugby tournament for two days. The teaching
and learning programmes of some schools were also interrupted by the prolonged public service
industrial action. The focus now turns to document analysis.
4.4.3 Document analysis
According to Merriam (1998), the researcher can judge whether a document is useful as a data source
by finding out whether it has information that is pertinent to the research question and whether it can be
easily acquired. However, documents have some limitations. When compared to other research
instruments such as interviews and observations, they may be incomplete. Furthermore, the source may
provide unrepresentative samples or the documents may be in a form which the researcher does not
understand. The researcher may also have problems with determining the “authenticity and accuracy of
the documents” (Merriam 1998).
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There are, however, some advantages of using documents in research. Dexter (1970: 11), cited by
Merriam (1988), encourages researchers to use documents in situations when it appears that they will
yield “better data or more data or data at less cost than other tactics.” Additionally, researchers can use
data from documents in the same way as the data from interviews and observations. The data provide
descriptive information, “verify emerging hypotheses, advance new categories and hypotheses, offer
historical understanding, track change and development and so on” (Merriam 1988). Documents are
also valuable because of their stability. Unlike in interviews and observations, the influence of the
researcher is not an issue in the use of documents because his / her presence does not change what is
being studied (Merriam 1998). Finally, documents can help the researcher to obtain information about
the context of a particular study in qualitative research (Merriam 1988).
As soon as documents have been located, it is important to determine their authenticity and accuracy.
This is achieved by checking the document’s origins and why it was written, who wrote it, and the
circumstances surrounding its production (Burgess 1982), cited by Merriam (1998). Drawing from
Guba & Lincoln (1981), Merriam (1998: 122) provides a list of questions to guide researchers when
evaluating the authenticity and accuracy of documents:
 What is the history of the document?

 How did it come into my hands?
 What guarantee is there that it is what it pretends to be?
 Is the document complete, as originally constructed?
 Has it been tempered with or edited?
 If the document is genuine, under what circumstances and for what purposes was it produced?
 Who was / is the author?
 What was he trying to accomplish? For whom was the document intended?
 What were the maker’s sources of information? Does the document represent an eyewitness account, a
second-hand account, a reconstruction of an event long prior to writing, an interpretation?
 What was or is the maker’s bias?
 To what extent was the writer likely to want to tell the truth?
 Do other documents exist that might shed additional light on the same story, event, project, programme,
context? If so, are they available, accessible? Who holds them? (Merriam 1998: 122).
Furthermore, the researcher might also distinguish primary sources from secondary sources (Merriam
1998; Duffy 2005). The former “came into existence in the period under research” whereas the latter are
“interpretations of events of that period based on primary sources” (Duffy 2005: 125). The next
paragraph relates the use of document analysis to this study.
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Like lesson observation described in Section 4.4.2 above, I use document analysis for triangulation
purposes. The main document that I analyse is the geography NCS (Department of Education 2003b)
with syllabuses for Grade 10, 11 and 12. The geography NCS was downloaded from the South African
Department of Education website. I also examine other documents that have been produced at
provincial level by the Western Cape Education Department to provide support to the geography
teachers in the process of curriculum implementation. These include lesson plan templates, work
schedules42, pace setters43 (see Appendix C:1 and C:2) and Learning Programme Guidelines for
geography (Department of Education 2008a). These documents were obtained from the geography
HODs in the sample schools and Learning Programme Guidelines document was downloaded from the
Western Cape Education Department website. In the next section I describe how I used questionnaires
in the study.
4.4.4 Questionnaires
I compiled a short questionnaire (see Appendix B:1) and then asked each of the 10 participants to
complete it. The questionnaire contains both closed-ended and open-ended questions (Flowerdew &
Martin 1997; Johnson & Christensen 2008; Kanjee 2006). The closed-ended questions were inserted in
order to capture the participants’ biographic details such as age, gender, nationality, educational and
professional qualifications as well as teaching experience. I included open-ended questions in order to
get qualitative data from the participant’s comments on some of their biographic details especially their
professional qualifications. Some questions were meant to capture data on the participant’s perceptions
on the infusion of environmental concerns in the geography curriculum and on suggestions on how to
improve the teaching and learning of EE and ESD in the geography curriculum. All the sections of the
questionnaires will be analysed qualitatively through thematic analysis which is used for all the data
including the interview transcripts. The next section deals with my role in the research process.
4.4.5 My role as a research instrument
I regard myself as one of the main research instruments in this qualitative research project (see section
4.2.2). For this reason, my central role required that I maintain a journal (Holly 1992). The journal
enabled me to write down personal reflections on “biases, values, personal background such as gender,
history, culture and socioeconomic status …” (Cresswell 2009: 177). These factors could have
42
A work schedule is a year-long teaching and learning programme that indicates the order in which the content and context will be delivered
for each grade. The work schedules are designed in such a way that elements of continuity, progression, learning outcomes and assessment
standards are integrated. The teachers use these work schedules to design lesson plans (Department of Education 2008).
43
Pace setters provide guidance on the time spent in dealing with each topic to enable the teachers to pace the teaching and learning
programmes in such a way that the geography curriculum for each grade can be completed on time for examinations.
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influenced my interaction with the participants or the way I interpreted the data. Furthermore, the
journal enabled me to keep track of my personal journey during which my perspectives are likely to
have impacted on the research process which in turn could have changed me as observed by Lichtman
(2010). Additionally, the journal has also been useful for writing memos during analysis and
interpretation of data. Some of the journal entries will be included in the section on personal reflections
in the last chapter to enable the readers to interpret my research in the light of the information that I
reveal about myself as well as my research experiences. The focus now turns to the analysis of
qualitative data.
4.5 ANALYSING DATA THROUGH THEMATIC ANALYSIS
I use thematic analysis to analyse the qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, lesson
observation, documents and questionnaires. According to Braun & Clarke (2006), thematic analysis is a
commonly used data analysis method, but other researchers (Attride-Stirling 2001; Boyatzis 1998;
Tuckett 2005) differ on what it is and how it should be done. Braun & Clarke (2006: 79) define
thematic analysis as “a method of identifying, analysing and reporting patterns (themes) within the data.
It minimally organises and describes your data set in (rich) detail”. A theme “captures something
important about the data in relation to the research question, and represents some level of patterned
response or meaning within the data set” (Braun & Clarke 2006: 82). Similarly, Boyatzis (1998: 4)
views a theme as “a pattern found in the information that at minimum describes and organises the
possible observations and at maximum interprets aspects of the phenomenon.” Additionally, thematic
analysis can be regarded as a generic data analysis tool because it belongs to a class of methods which
“are essentially independent of theory and epistemology, and can be applied across a range of
theoretical and epistemological approaches” (Braun & Clarke 2006: 78). The thematic analysis process
involves a number of phases.
The process begins with the researcher familiarizing himself / herself with the data (Braun & Clarke
2006). The transcription of interview records from audio-tapes (see Section 4.4.1) is very important
because it provides an opportunity for the researcher to become familiar with the data. It is necessary to
read all the data several times so as to know it very well. The qualitative data is then coded. Coding is
the “process of defining what the data is all about” (Charmaz 2000: 254) and Holloway (1997: 84)
observes that “concepts or themes are identified and named during the analysis.” The first step in
coding is referred to as open coding (Ezzy 2002). In the coding process I focused on sentences and even
whole paragraphs in order to identify and label major ideas. The coding process is iterative because one
keeps moving back and forth within the data set in order to review the codes (Braun & Clarke 2006). In
some cases I used in vivo codes (Charmaz 2000) to label the data i.e. using the language of the
participants in the case of interviews. In other cases I used names of concepts and ideas derived from
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literature and linked to the research questions. According to Lichtman (2010), the codes need to be
constantly reviewed so that the redundant ones can be discarded or renamed. The next step is to
organize the codes into categories at the next level through classification (see Figure 4.1). According to
Lichtman (2010: 197), the analysis of qualitative data (thematic analysis) involves moving “from
coding initial data through identification of categories to the recognition of important concepts” or
themes (see Figure 4.1).
Some of the codes may be moved up to the next level to become categories, other codes may be
classified into categories and the redundant codes may be discarded. At the next level the less important
categories may be combined to form major categories, concepts or themes whereas other categories
could simply be moved up the next level (see Figure 4.1). The redundant categories will again be
discarded. The final key concepts or themes provide the story of what the data means in relation to the
phenomenon being investigated (Lichtman 2006; 2010). I used Lichtman’s (2006; 2010) guidelines on
analysing qualitative data because they are much clearer than those provided by Braun & Clarke (2006).
Adapted from Lichtman (2006: 168)

Figure 4.1 Stages in qualitative data analysis.
After coding the qualitative data, the codes were transferred on to excel spreadsheets (see Appendix
B:7). The excel spreadsheets made further classification of the codes much easier along the rows and
columns. Five columns were used in each excel page or sheet as illustrated in Appendix B:7. The
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heading for the first column is codes, followed by identity and then source. The heading for the fourth
column is category or sub-theme and the last column is for major categories or themes. Some of the
codes are ‘in vivo’ where the data was coded using the language of the participants. The other data was
coded using concepts derived from literature because they help to answer the research questions. The
second column, with the heading identity, enables the codes to be linked to the participants’ data.
The third column with heading source, indicates the type of data: whether it is from interviews,
questionnaires, document analysis or lesson analysis. The fourth column with heading category/sub-
themes is used for classifying the codes into sub-themes. In the last column the categories are further
classified into major categories or themes. In this case the two major themes derived from the data are
opportunities and challenges. As illustrated in Figure 4.1 and Box 5.1, the sub-themes and themes
become fewer than the codes.
4.6 SUMMARY
In order to find out how EE and ESD are being implemented through the secondary school geography
curriculum, a qualitative research design following a case study approach has been used. This is
underpinned by the interpretive research paradigm. The research findings are likely to provide an
explanation that enables the readers to understand how EE and ESD are being implemented.
Additionally, the qualitative research design that is used enables me to pay attention to the influence of
context on the findings.
Two geography teachers invited from each of the five selected public schools made up a purposeful
sample of 10 participants. The data collection instruments include semi-structured interviews, lesson
observation, document analysis and questionnaires. The interviews were audio-recorded and
transcribed. Field notes were written on lessons that were observed. The questionnaires were
qualitatively analysed. The qualitative data were analysed through thematic analysis, involving coding
and classification into categories and themes. In Chapter 5, I describe the results of the research in the
form of themes that provide the story of what the data means concerning how the teacher participants
are implementing EE and ESD.
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CHAPTER 5: E1VIRONMENTAL CONCERNS IN THE GEOGRAPHY

CURRICULUM: IS IT JUST TEACHING AND LEARNING OF
KNOWLEDGE?
In the previous chapter, I dealt with methodology. I have used qualitative research following a case
study design. The research is underpinned by the interpretive research paradigm where my aim is to
provide an explanation that will help readers to understand how EE and ESD are being implemented
through the geography curriculum in five secondary schools in the Western Cape. Data were generated
using a number of research instruments: questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, document analysis
and lesson observation and analysed through thematic analysis. In this chapter, I present the research
results which will help me to answer the research questions related to: opportunities for teaching EE
and ESD in the geography NCS; the geography teachers’ perspectives on EE and ESD; the extent to
which EE and ESD are taught by the geography teachers in the lessons; pedagogical approaches used
by the geography teachers; and, the barriers to teaching environmental concerns infused in the
5.1 THE DATA COLLECTION EXERCISE
I conducted fieldwork in five schools in 2010 over a three month period from August to October. This
was followed by a second visit in May 2011 for verification of data collected through interviews and
questionnaires. The verification exercise and the collection of small amounts of missing data were also
conducted through phone calls to some of the teacher participants. The fieldwork was affected in some
schools by the prolonged public service industrial action in 2010. Schools 2 and 3 were, however, not
affected. They operated normally without any disruptions and visits to these schools occurred as
planned. School 1 was forced to close for one day as a result of the invasion of the school premises by
teachers from other schools. These unsolicited visitors then engaged in picketing inside the school
grounds. As a result, no teaching and learning could take place under those conditions. I had to return to
this school two weeks later to complete the fieldwork. Schools 4 and 5 located in the Black townships
were the worst affected. These schools closed during the period of the industrial action. My visit to
school 5 was delayed for two weeks and then I had to visit this school a month later than I had
originally planned. In the following sections I describe the school profile so as to provide the research
context.
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5.1.1 The school profile
5.1.1.1 School 1
Located in the Helderberg Basin, this urban school was built for Coloured learners during the apartheid
era. It is one of several high schools serving a population of over 150, 000 in the Helderberg area (City
of Cape Town 2006a). The towns of Somerset West, Strand, Gordon’s Bay, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Macassar
and Faure are located in the Helderberg Basin which is part of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan area
(Penderis 1996). Schools 3 and 4 are also located in the Helderberg area.
School 1 not only serves an urban population but also the rural farming community in the vicinity of the
town. Additionally, a small percentage of learners enrolled in the school are from the Black townships.
The aggregated statistics from Statistics South Africa – 2001 census reveal that the largest population
group found in the Helderberg area is classified as Coloured (42%), followed by White (32%) and then
Black Africans (25%). The rest consists of other population groups such as Asians (City of Cape Town
2006a).
The school has a total enrolment of about 1,300 learners in Grades 8-12 (Western Cape Education
Department 2010). The staff complement of 47 consists of 40 teachers and 7 support staff. According to
the principal, the school enrolment increased in recent years, resulting in large classes of up to 50
learners per class in the GET band (Grades 8-9). In 2009 the problem of shortage of classroom space
was so acute that one teacher did not have accommodation for her class during some lessons. The
accommodation problems have since been resolved. However, 6 of the 14 geography classes are large,
as shown on Table 5.1; with class sizes greater than the teacher-learner ratio of 1:33 and 1:35
recommended by provincial Western Cape Education Department and national Department of
Education respectively at secondary school level. The national Department of Education (2001)
implemented a teacher-learner ratio of 1:40 for all primary schools and 1:35 for all secondary schools
(Peltzer et al 2005). Class sizes differ according to the popularity of some subject packages at FET
level.
The principal considers the school infrastructure and facilities to be of the required standard. There are
26 classrooms, 4 science laboratories, 2 specialist rooms, 2 computer labs, 1 workshop and a library
(Western Cape Education Department 2010). The library was recently converted to a classroom in order
to alleviate the problem of shortage of accommodation for the learners.
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Table 5.1: Geography class sizes at FET level in School 1, 2011
Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
class size class size class size
A 43 A 38 A 38
B 28 C 36 B 11
C 30 D 38 C 33
D 35 E 30 D 28
E 20 E 38
148
Total 156 142
The unavailability of a library has implications on the availability of resources for teaching and learning
of EE and ESD in the geography curriculum as the learners’ ability to engage in enquiry learning on
environmental issues is likely to be adversely affected. The school also has a hall. School 1 charges an
annual fee of R900 per learner (Western Cape Education Department 2012), but it is not a Section 2144
school.
According to the principal, the school is grappling with learner indiscipline emanating from antisocial
activities that spill over to the school from the communities where the learners live. Poverty resulting
from joblessness in some communities is also a major concern because it results in a number of parents
failing to pay fees. Poverty can be attributed to the problem of unemployment and low incomes. At
least one fifth (19%) of the population in the Helderberg area (City of Cape Town 2006a) is
unemployed. According to the 2001 census (City of Cape Town 2006a) almost half the population
(47%) in the Helderberg area earned less than R1,600 per month. This situation has possibly worsened
over the years, due to high rates of migration from other parts of the Western Cape and from other parts
of South Africa, especially the Eastern Cape (City of Cape Town 2006). According to the principal, the
inability of some parents to pay fees adversely impacts on the school’s ability to raise funds to meet its
expenses.
The school curriculum at FET level consists of 17 subjects, with geography falling under Human and
Social Sciences together with history. In this school, geography appears to be far more popular than
history because in 2010, a total of 397 out of 668 learners (59%) at FET level (Gr 10-12) were doing
44
According to the South African Schools Act, 1996 (Act No 84 of 1996) (South Africa 1996b), Section 21 schools are those schools that
manage their own finances. The Department deposits the school allocation into the schools’ account at the beginning of every financial year.
This happens after the school has submitted an audited annual financial statement report. The Department manages the finances of the non-
section 21 schools and they order what the schools require and the Department pays the suppliers. These financial allocations are known as
school allocations and all schools are informed of their school allocations six months before the beginning of the financial year to enable
schools to budget and plan for the next financial year (http://www.kzneducation.gov.za/CorporateInformation/FAQS.aspx).
136
geography whereas 156 out 668 learners (23%) were doing history (Western Cape Education
Department 2010).
5.1.1.2 School 2
This is a former Model C urban school located within the Stellenbosch Municipality of the Cape
Winelands District. School 2 is one of several high schools that service the rural farming area as well as
urban areas of the greater Stellenbosch Municipality with an estimated total population of 135,000 in
2006 (Stellenbosch Municipality 2008). The school was built to cater for the needs of the white
population during the apartheid era. The racial profile of the learners has largely remained the same. A
small percentage of Coloured and Black students are currently enrolled in the school despite the fact
that the racial composition of the greater Stellenbosch area consists of 57% Coloureds, 22% Whites,
20% Black Africans and the rest consists of other racial groups such as Asians (Statistics South Africa
2001).
The greater Stellenbosch area has a high income gap between the rich and the poor. According to the
2001 census, the annual household income varied between less than R4,800 for the poorest households
and over R2,000,000 for the wealthiest households and 12% of the households had no income.
Additionally, at least one fifth (21%) of the economically active population was unemployed (Statistics
South Africa 2001) cited by Stellenbosch Municipality (2008). According to Stellenbosch Municipality
(2008: 13):
Stellenbosch is an area where great wealth in the form of wine estates, luxurious hotels,
spas and leafy green suburbs exist side by side with impoverished farm workers, displaced
farm dwellers, and unemployed and poor households resident in underdeveloped townships
situated beyond the main industrial, commercial, entertainment and other places and spaces
of leisure.
School 2 has a total enrolment of about 1,200 learners in Grades 8-12 (Western Cape Education
Department 2010). There is a boarding section which accommodates about 200 learners not only from
within South Africa but also from other countries in southern Africa.
The school has 38 classrooms, 6 science laboratories, 7 specialist rooms, 1 workshop, 2 computer labs
and a functioning library (Western Cape Education Department 2010). It also has two halls, one of
which can accommodate all the learners. School 2 is a well-resourced, Section 21 school which charges
an annual fee / levy of about R20,000 per learner (Western Cape Education Department 2012). The
geography classes are generally small, as shown on Table 5.2. According to the teacher-learner ratio
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norm of the Western Cape Education Department of 1:33 at secondary school level, all the classes are
relatively small because they have less than 30 learners each.
Grade Language Medium Class size
10 ---- 24
11 ---- 18
12 Afrikaans 26
12 English 22
Total Total 90
The school has a broad curriculum which consists of 25 subjects at FET level (Western Cape Education
Department 2010). These include those that fall under Arts and Culture which are not offered in the
other four selected schools. Arts and Culture subjects as well as Human and Social Sciences fields, are
far less popular than Sciences, Mathematics, Technical and Business subjects. Geography is one of the
least popular subjects in this school. It appears to be even slightly less popular than history, with a total
of 101 out of 692 learners (15%) in Grades 10-12 in 2010 whereas only 81 out of 692 learners (12%)
were doing geography (Western Cape Education Department 2010).
Excellent sports facilities complement the teaching and learning facilities and a large variety of sporting
codes are offered at this school such as rugby, cricket, aquatic sports, hockey, tennis and indoor games
among others. The teachers have very busy schedules that include coaching the learners in a variety of
sporting codes and cultural activities as well as supervising inter-schools competitions during
weekends.
5.1.1.3 School 3
This school is similar to School 1 in that it was built for Coloured learners during the apartheid era. It
caters for the needs of the Coloured community that occupies a township near the False Bay coast in the
Helderberg area. According to the 2001 census, Coloureds made up a large majority of the township
population (98%) and the rest consisted of Black Africans (City of Cape Town 2006b). The school still
draws most of its learners from the local township and as a result, the racial profile of the learners has
largely remaining the same. A small percentage of learners come from the surrounding farms and from
the Black township close by. The school falls under the jurisdiction of the Metro East Education District
and Circuit (City of Cape Town District Council) (Western Cape Education Department 2010).
138
The total enrolment is about 1,200 learners in Grades 8-12 (Western Cape Education Department 2010).
The staff complement consists of 40 teachers, 37 of whom are paid by the government and 3 by the
School Governing Body. The geography classes are generally small, as shown in Table 5.3. When
compared to the teacher-learner ratio norm of the Western Cape Education Department of 1:33 at
secondary school level, most of the classes are relatively small because they have less than 30 learners
each. The class with 34 learners also compares favourably with the national Department of Education
norm of teacher-learner ratio of 1:35 at secondary school level. There is only one large class with 41
learners.
A 23 A 24 A 10
B 25 C 26 B 22
C 25 E 34 C 20
E 41 F 24
F 28 G 24
G 26
52
Total 168 132
According to the principal, the school facilities are adequate. During the time of the research, about 30
classrooms were being used for tuition. Other rooms include 4 science laboratories, 3 specialist rooms,
2 workshops and 3 computer rooms (Western Cape Education Department 2010). The school also has a
hall, but the library was recently converted to a computer room. The unavailability of a library has a
negative impact on the teaching and learning of EE and ESD, as highlighted in the discussion of School
1. School 3 is a Section 21 school which charges an annual fee of R850 per learner.
The school offers similar subjects to those found in School 1 (Western Cape Education Department
2010). Geography is far more popular than history, with 324 out of 624 learners (52%) doing the
subject whereas 221 out of 624 learners (35%) were doing history at FET level in 2010.
The principal pointed out that problems are experienced from time to time with the shortage of teacher-
learner support material (such as paper) and the breakdown of machines, e.g. copy machines,
duplicators etc. Further problems were raised by the principal, such as the shortage of finance caused by
non-payment of fees by some of the parents. This is attributed to high levels of unemployment resulting
from the closure and relocation of some factories that previously employed some of the township
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residents. The principal also pointed out that some of the remaining factories have scaled down
production, resulting in further reduction of employment opportunities. As a result, there is endemic
poverty in the township. This is exacerbated by the fact that the majority of the working population in
the township (59%) earned low monthly wages of less than R1,600 and that at least one fifth (21%) of
the economically active population is unemployed (Statistics South Africa 2001). The principal, who is
a resident of the township, supports the findings of Statistics South Africa (2001) that a significant
number of residents are employed in menial, low-paying jobs.
The principal believes that the problem of unemployment has resulted in increased antisocial activities
among school leavers in the community as well as among some of the learners in the school. Drug-
related problems have increased among the township youth in recent years. These antisocial activities
could, according to the principal, be contributing to the drop in the Matric pass rate of the school in
recent years. The principal has the perception that some of the learners are no longer as committed to
their school work as they used to be, several years ago.
5.1.1.4 School 4
The school is located adjacent to a Black township in the Helderberg area. The settlement lies in the
Helderberg drainage basin and occupies a depression hemmed in by mountains. Therefore, temperature
inversion in the mornings results in reduced visibility caused by the development of a plume of
pollutants that hangs over the area. Near the school entrance, putrid garbage is dumped by the township
residents and school workers in a ditch next to the road as well as along the road verges. One is
immediately reminded of the perennial problem of poor service delivery that the South African
township residents have to continually grapple with.
School 4 originated as a satellite of another township high school which had become seriously
overcrowded. The satellite school soon became autonomous and then assumed a different name. The
two high schools serve the needs of three adjacent Black townships in the Helderberg area. School 4 has
an enrolment of about 1,600 Grade 8-12 learners. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Metro East
Education District and Circuit (City of Cape Town District Council) (Western Cape Education
Department 2010). The staff complement consists of 49 teachers. According to the principal, there are
41 classrooms, 4 science labs, 1 computer lab, a library and a hall. The school has no workshops for
industrial subjects.
The school faces a number of challenges with infrastructure. According to the principal, one classroom
had to be converted to a staffroom because the original staffroom had become too small to
accommodate 49 teachers. This could contribute to the problem of overcrowding in the classrooms
140
because fewer classrooms would be available to accommodate the learners. The most serious problem,
however, is the poor workmanship of the buildings. This issue has serious implications for the safety of
the learners during periods of inclement weather. In 2009 the roofs of 10 classrooms were blown off by
the wind during a storm, resulting in a severe shortage of classroom space. The problem was alleviated
by the installation of 13 mobile classrooms. Additionally, the classroom doors have been constructed
from substandard materials, with some of them now damaged and not able to close properly. Although
the roofs of the classrooms have since been repaired, one classroom was still unsafe for use because the
roof was not only leaking but also was unstable. During the time of the research in 2010, this classroom
was not being used for teaching and learning, implying that the learners continue to experience a
shortage of classrooms. This explains the problem of overcrowding in some of the classes (see Table
5.4). The 13 mobile classrooms have been retained because the school population is growing rapidly
from year to year.
The school was originally built for 1,200 learners but it now accommodates about 400 more learners,
resulting in overcrowding and pressure on the available infrastructure. The classrooms had recently
become very overcrowded and according to the principal, some classes had up to 60 learners per class,
especially in the GET band. The 13 mobile classrooms have helped to relieve pressure on the available
facilities by providing more classroom space but the principal indicated that the average class size is
currently still about 40. Half of the geography classes at FET level are very large, as shown in Table
5.4. Five out of the 10 geography classes have between 40 and 50 learners each. They surpass by far the
teacher-learner ratio norm of the Western Cape Education Department of 1:33 and the national
Department of Education norm of teacher-learner ratio of 1:35 noted above.
A 48 B 45 A 34
H 49 D 18 B 31
I 50 C 42 F 29
H 35
147 140 94
Total
The school curriculum offers 15 subjects. Geography is far more popular than history in this school, as
noted in Schools 1 and 3. In 2010, 368 out of 829 learners (44%) were doing geography whereas 130
out of 829 learners (16%) were doing history at FET level (Western Cape Education Department 2010).
According to the principal, the school uses the infrastructure and equipment for the benefit of the
community. For example, it offers computer literacy skills to members of the community in an effort to
141
help to reduce unemployment. Furthermore, the school is working towards engaging the community in
the development of a nutrition garden with the assistance of the Agricultural Science teachers and
learners. The nutrition garden is already benefiting the school’s learner-feeding scheme by supplying
vegetables to supplement the food donated by the government. Unfortunately, many parents and
guardians are not supportive of the education of the learners. The principal complained about the large
number of learner’s reports left uncollected in his office and the lack of support by parents in the school
fund-raising efforts. School 4 is a no-fee paying school.
5.1.1.5 School 5
The school lies on a steep slope on the southern edge of a Black Township. As a result, there is a
serious shortage of space around the school buildings for other land uses such as sports facilities. An
industrial area lies behind the school to the south, causing air pollution, especially during the mornings.
A sprawling informal settlement extends from the school’s western fence down a valley and up the
steep slopes of an elongated hill. To the north and east of the school, there is a mixture of formal and
informal housing. According to Stellenbosch Municipality (2006) cited by Booi (2011), most of the
housing (70%) in the township consists of informal structures which are poorly serviced with
infrastructure. Next to the school gate, there is a large heap of uncollected refuse dumped by the school
cleaners and township residents. The township experiences a number of social problems. Endemic
poverty and a high crime rate can be attributed to a high unemployment rate estimated at between 40
and 50% (Stellenbosch Municipality 2006).
According to the principal, School 5’s origins can be traced to a primary school in the 1940s. It later
developed into a combined school run by Department of Education and Training (DET) (Mokotso
1999). Due to overcrowding, the school eventually split into separate institutions: a primary school and
two secondary schools occupying different sites by 2007. In 2010 there were about 800 Grade 8 and
Grade 10-12 learners in School 5 (Western Cape Education Department 2010). The school did not yet
have Grade 9 learners because it initially relocated the FET band learners (Grades 10-12) only to the
new site and left the GET band learners at the old site. The school will have a full complement of
learners including Grade 8 and 9 as from 2011. The other high school offering commercial and
industrial subjects is operating at the old site. The two high schools serve the needs of the township with
a rapidly rising population estimated at 33,000 (Stellenbosch Municipality 2006). According to the
principal, a limited number of learners commute to School 5 from other townships, for example from as
far as the Helderberg area, Khayelitsha Township and the surrounding farms.
In 2010 School 5 had a staff complement of 29 teachers, 27 of whom were government-paid and 2 were
paid by the School Governing Body. According to the principal, the number of teachers meets the
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provincial Western Cape Education Department and national Department of Education norms of the
required teacher-learner ratio of 1:33 and 1:35 respectively at secondary school level. When compared
to the teacher-learner ratio norm of 1:33 stipulated by Western Cape Education Department at
secondary school level, six out of twelve classes with more than 33 learners can be regarded as large.
Four of the classes with above 40 learners each are seriously overcrowded. The size of the geography
classes varies greatly as illustrated in Table 5.5. According to the principal, some classes are large; with
class sizes ranging from 40 to 55 learners per class. This could be explained by the fact that some
subject combinations are more popular at FET level than others.
class size class size class Size
B 34 B 23 B 22
C 11 C 49 C 35
90D 43 D 49 D 31
E 20 E 37
F 43
125
Total 151 121
There are 27 classrooms, 4 science labs, 1 specialist room, 1 computer room, a library and a hall. The
library is not yet functioning because it has not yet been stocked with books. This has implications for
the quality of teaching and learning in the school, as noted above for School 1 and 3.
The school curriculum consists of 15 subjects, with geography being far more popular than history as
noted in Schools 1, 3 and 4. In 2010, a total of 437 out of 662 learners (66%) were doing geography,
whereas 148 out of 662 learners (22%) were doing history at FET level (Western Cape Education
Department 2010).
The school has a severe shortage of sports facilities due to shortage of space in the school premises as
noted above. Additionally, the township sports facilities are not in a good condition and so the school
uses sports facilities in the adjacent neighbourhood. According to the principal, the shortage of sports
facilities limits the number and variety of sporting codes which can be offered to the learners. School 5
is a no-fee paying school.
The principal further highlighted a number of problems facing the school. The teaching and learning of
girls is interrupted by a rather high rate of pregnancy. The nursing of their babies increases absenteeism
and has a negative influence on their performance. This social problem has implications on the control
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of the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic among the Township youth. Parents are also not supportive of
the education of their children. The school administration resorts to organising meetings per grade
instead of the whole school and withholding learner’s reports and then asking the parents to come and
personally collect the reports instead of giving them to the learners.
5.1.2 Participant profile
5.1.2.1 Maggie
Maggie is a 47 year old female teacher with 24 years teaching experience at secondary school level.
She has always taught in School 1 and currently she only teaches geography. This teacher holds a
Lower Secondary Teaching Diploma (LSTD) and her perception is that the standard of training that she
obtained was quite high. She specialised in teaching geography. According to her, the LSTD
programme included geography academic and method modules but she maintains that the programme
did not adequately address concerns about the environment. She believes that she was well socialised
into the profession of a geography teacher through workshops that she attended over the years and also
through the guidance that she obtained from senior geography teachers.
Being the head of the Department of Social Sciences, Maggie supervises six members of staff; two
geography teachers and four history teachers. Furthermore, she is a member of the School Management
Team. As the Grade 12 head, she deals with all the problems pertaining to that grade except for the
curricula related to the other subjects. She has a number of additional responsibilities, such as managing
and coaching the school netball teams. Sometimes her weekends are taken up by netball fixtures against
other schools. Although she lives outside the town where the school is located, she feels that she is very
much part of the local community because of her long service in the school.
5.1.2.2 Ian
Ian is a 42 year old male teacher with 11 years teaching experience at secondary school level. He has
always taught in School 1 and he only teaches geography. He holds a Higher Diploma in Education
(HDE). According to this teacher, the HDE programme included geography academic and method
modules. Furthermore, his view is that the academic modules adequately addressed concerns about the
environment. He believes that he was well socialised into the profession of a geography teacher through
workshops that he regularly attended and also through the guidance that he obtained from senior
geography teachers.
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This teacher is extremely busy with extra-curricular activities after school. He hardly has any time to
spare because he is the school sports coordinator responsible for organising game fixtures with other
schools. He manages and coaches rugby as well. Additionally, he is responsible for the school income
generation activities through the tuck-shop. He lives in the adjacent town and he feels very much a
member of the local community.
5.1.2.3 Johan
Johan is a 57 year old male. He is a well qualified and experienced teacher with 35 years teaching
experience at secondary school level. He first taught for 5 years at another school and then transferred
to School 2 where he has been teaching for 30 years. Besides teaching geography, he also teaches the
physical training aspect of Life Orientation45. He holds two Honours degrees: one in Geography and the
other in Education. According to Johan, the geography modules in his undergraduate studies adequately
addressed concerns about the environment. He is the Head of Department in charge of only geography
and there are two other teachers in the department.
Johan lived on the school premises for 17 years as a boarding master of one of the hostels where he
used to interact with members of the community. Although he now lives elsewhere outside the town, he
still feels that he is part of the community. He also holds the position of head of sports and assists in
coaching rugby and cricket. Additionally, he is heavily involved in the school administration because he
sits in a number of committees such as the Discipline, School Governing Body and infrastructure
committees.
5.1.2.4 Hilton
Hilton is a 47 year old male teacher with 20 years teaching experience at secondary school level. He
taught for 14 years at another secondary school before he transferred to School 2 where he has been
working for 6 years. Furthermore, he currently teaches Life Orientation as well, but geography is his
main teaching subject. Hilton holds a Bachelor’s degree with a major in geography and a Postgraduate
Certificate in Education (PGCE). According to Hilton, the geography modules in his undergraduate
studies adequately addressed concerns about the environment. He believes that he was well socialised
into the profession of a geography teacher through workshops that he regularly attended and also
through support from curriculum advisers.
Additionally, he is responsible for the administration and coaching of rugby and water polo.
Involvement in co-curricular activities takes up most of his time in the afternoon and some of the
45
This is a compulsory subject which involves the “study of the self in relation to others and to society” (Department of Education 2003a: 44).
145
weekends. Hilton is a passionate animal rights activist. In 2010 he was involved in a Save the Rhino
campaign which was run through canvassing for support for the cause using the internet. Another
project that he is involved in is speaking against the practice of canned lion hunting which is growing in
popularity in South Africa. Hilton lives in a rural area in the Helderberg region.
5.1.2.5 Robert
Robert is a 52 year old male teacher with 27 years teaching experience at secondary school level. He
first taught at a secondary school in one of the neighbouring countries for 5 years and then transferred
to School 3 where he has worked for 22 years as a geography teacher. Robert is the deputy Principal of
the school as well as head of the Geography Department supervising three geography teachers. He
holds a Bachelor’s Degree majoring in geography and he currently only teaches geography. His
professional qualifications include a Bachelor of Education degree and a Higher Diploma in Education
(HDE). Robert believes that he obtained first class training because theory was integrated with practical
and the geography lectures were taught in well equipped laboratories. Additionally, he is of the opinion
that the geography modules in his undergraduate studies adequately addressed concerns about the
environment.
Although he lives elsewhere in the Helderberg area, he feels that he is part of the township community
because of his long service at this school as well as his involvement in the community as a school
soccer administrator. As soccer manager, Robert ensures that there are coaches for the soccer teams.
He coordinates with other schools in drawing up soccer fixtures and provides general logistical support
for the school soccer teams. Furthermore, he is heavily involved in general school administration
because he is also the deputy school principal.
5.1.2.6 Oliver
Oliver is a 57 year old male teacher with 35 years teaching experience at secondary school level. He
holds a Lower Secondary Teaching Diploma (LSTD) and specialised to teach geography. He taught at
another school for 20 years and then transferred to School 3 where he has been working for 15 years.
Oliver only teaches geography. According to this teacher, the LSTD programme included geography
academic and method modules. Furthermore, his view is that the academic modules adequately
addressed concerns about the environment. He believes that he was well socialised into the profession
of a geography teacher through regular workshops organised by the Department of Education. The only
extra-curricular activity that he is engaged in is supervision and training of the school choir. This
teacher lives in an adjacent suburb and he feels that he is part of the local community.
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5.1.2.7 Godwin
Godwin is a 47 year old male teacher with 14 years teaching experience at secondary school level. He
taught in two other secondary schools before moving to School 4 where he has been teaching for four
years. He teaches Life Orientation and history in addition to geography. Godwin holds the position of a
geography subject head which involves assisting the Head of Department in running the department.
Furthermore, he supervises four geography teachers. The Head of the Social Science Department, in
charge of both geography and history, is a history specialist without any training in geography
education. Godwin holds an Honours degree majoring in geography and a Higher Diploma in Education
(HDE). According to this teacher, the geography modules in his undergraduate studies adequately
addressed concerns about the environment. He believes that he was well socialised into the profession
of a geography teacher through workshops organised by the Department of Education.
Godwin has other responsibilities in addition to being a geography subject head. He is involved in the
general school administration as a member of the Extended School Management Team (ESMT) and the
Academic School Management Team (ASMT). He is also the Safe Schools Coordinator responsible for
the safety and security of the learners in the school. Additionally, he is one of the school soccer
coaches. This teacher is a member of the local community because he lives in one of Black townships
close to the school.
5.1.2.8 Vena
Vena is a 37 year old female teacher with 9 years teaching experience at secondary school level. She
worked for two years at another school before moving to School 4 where she has been teaching for
seven years. Furthermore, she holds a Bachelor’s degree majoring in geography and a Postgraduate
Certificate in Education (PGCE). She was trained to teach geography and Xhosa and her expertise is
fully utilised in teaching both geography and Xhosa at this school. According to this teacher, the
geography modules in her undergraduate studies adequately addressed concerns about the environment.
Although this teacher lives in a distant Cape Town suburb, she says that she feels that she is part of the
local community because she shares their culture. She is involved in both cultural activities and school
sport. Vena is in charge of the school traditional dancing club and assists with the supervision of school
netball teams.
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5.1.2.9 Lloyd
Lloyd is a 37 year old male with 15 years teaching experience at secondary school level. He has always
taught in School 5. Besides teaching geography, Lloyd also teaches Computer Applications Technology
(CAT). He is Head of Social Sciences and is in charge of three subjects: geography, history and
Tourism Studies and supervises six teachers altogether. The Social Sciences department comprises three
geography, two history and two Tourism Studies teachers. This teacher holds a Bachelor’s degree with
a major in geography and a Higher Diploma in Education (HDE). According to Lloyd, the geography
modules in his undergraduate studies did not adequately address concerns about the environment. Lloyd
is involved in school administration as a member of the School Management Team (SMT).
5.1.2.10 Thomas
Thomas is a 42 year old male teacher with 17 years teaching experience at secondary school level. He
has spent most of his teaching years in School 5. He currently teaches geography and English. Thomas
is disabled as a result of a car accident and moves around with the help of a wheel chair. He holds a
Bachelor’s degree with a major in geography and a Higher Diploma in Education (HDE). According to
him, the geography modules in his undergraduate studies adequately addressed concerns about the
environment. This teacher is a member of the local community because he is a resident of the township
in which School 5 is located. In the following sections I describe the main themes illustrated with
extracts from the teacher participants’ interviews.
5.2 DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
The data analysis process (see also section 4.5 and Appendix B:7) yielded a number of sub-themes
which were further classified into major categories or themes (see Box 5.1). The first set of major
themes is classified into opportunities which could be exploited so as to successfully implement EE
and ESD through the school geography curriculum. The second set has been classified into challenges
which act as barriers to the successful implementation of EE and ESD. The interpretive research design
used in this research (see section 4.1) allows the geography teachers to communicate in the following
sections, the opportunities and challenges that present themselves as the teachers try to integrate
environmental concerns infused in the curriculum policy in the lessons.
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Box 5.1 Main themes and sub-themes
OPPORTUNITIES
 Enabling policy framework
 Incorporation in lessons
 Enabling pedagogical approaches
 Awareness of local environmental problems and teacher initiatives
CHALLENGES
 Perspectives on EE, SD and ESD
 Challenges with pedagogical approaches
 School organization
 Inadequate resources
 Lack of awareness of EE strategies
 The role of curriculum advisors
5.3 OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPLEMENTING EE and ESD THROUGH THE GEOGRAPHY

CURRICULUM
5.3.1 An enabling policy framework
In Section 2.7.2.2 a brief analysis of the preamble of aims, scope, subject specific outcomes and
assessment standards showed that environmental concerns are infused in the geography NCS
(Department of Education 2003b) much more than in the previous syllabuses. Furthermore, there is a
greater focus on the teaching of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values when compared to previous
syllabuses where there was a heavy emphasis on content and textbook knowledge (Nel & Binns 1999).
Seven of the ten teacher participants (Maggie, Ian, Johan, Hilton, Oliver, Godwin and Vena) agreed
with the above observation that there are a lot of opportunities provided in the geography NCS, for
teaching EE and ESD. However, three of the teachers (Robert, Lloyd and Thomas) are of the view that
there are limited opportunities for teaching EE and ESD in the geography NCS.
Thomas commented:
I mainly teach Grade 10 and I think environmental issues are not included in the Grade 10
syllabus.
Their difficulties in appreciating the EE and ESD content in the geography curriculum can be attributed
to the fact that they hardly refer to the preamble of aims and scope of geography education in the
original curriculum document when planning to teach their lessons. Lloyd and Thomas communicated
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that they refer more to work schedules and pace setters than the original geography NCS document
when they plan their lessons.
Lloyd commented:
We are encouraged [by the department] to follow the pace setters because when the
department sets common question papers which all schools write, they look at the pace
setters regarding what they may or may not set. That is why they encourage the teachers to
follow the pace setters.
Similarly, Thomas stated:
I use pace setters and the text book. I do not go to the original NCS document.
However, Lloyd later contradicts himself and acknowledges the incorporation of environmental
concerns in the geography curriculum. Lloyd commented:
Environmental education is an integral part of the geography syllabus. It is

something that is new.
Lloyd and Thomas teach in School 5 where Lloyd is the head of the Social Sciences Department that
comprises geography, history and tourism studies (see Section 5.1.2). Lloyd’s comment also shows the
importance attached to teaching for the examinations at FET level in the South African education
system.
Contrary to Thomas’s assertion that there are no opportunities to teach EE and ESD in the Grade 10
syllabus, an analysis of the syllabus revealed that environmental concerns are incorporated in the
learning outcomes and assessment standards (see Table 5.6). The relevant sections where environmental
concerns are incorporated are underlined in Table 5.6. In teaching and learning towards the
achievement of Learning Outcome 2, the learners are challenged with the negative consequences of
human-environment interactions. In addition, there are opportunities to explore ways of managing the
environmental problems. Learning Outcome 3 deals with the question of teaching and learning not only
about the influence of values and attitudes of decision-makers, but also the learners’ own value systems
in the process of addressing environmental issues (Tilbury 1997). The corresponding assessment
standards provide guidelines for the assessment of competences that should be demonstrated by the
learners to indicate the achievement of the learning outcomes (see Table 5.6). Environmental concerns
are incorporated in the assessment standards as well. Additionally, the curriculum document is explicit
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on the fact that geography education at this level should focus on the teaching and learning of
knowledge, skills, attitudes and values as noted above (Department of Education 2003b: 26).
Table 5.6: Learning outcomes and assessment standards for Grade 10

LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT STANDARDS
Learning Outcomes 1 We know this when the learner is able to:
Geographical skills and Techniques (practical  Identify issues and formulate questions for an
competence) investigation.
Learners will be expected to use a range of  Acquire information from fieldwork and a variety of
geographical skills and techniques at a basic level other sources.
in order to use and manipulate data and  Organize information graphically, pictorially and
information. Furthermore, learners should diagrammatically.
demonstrate the skills of reporting findings and/or  Analyse information obtained from a variety of sources.
expressing an opinion.  Report findings in oral and/or written form.

Knowledge and understanding (foundational  Describe processes and associated patterns in places
competence) and regions.
Learners will be expected to demonstrate a basic  Identify similarities and differences in processes and
operational knowledge of physical and human spatial patterns between places or between regions.
processes and the patterns which result from  Describe the links between environmental problems
them, as well as interactions between humans and social injustices in a local and global context.
and the environment on a local and a global scale.  Describe the interdependence between humans and
the environment at different scales.
Application (reflexive competence)  Apply skills and knowledge to a range of phenomena,
Learners will be expected to apply knowledge and issues and challenges at local and global scales.
skills to select and propose known solutions or  Identify different values and attitudes held by
strategies to manage local/continental problems, individuals and groups associated with processes,
acknowledging the values, attitudes and spatial patterns and human-environment interactions at
knowledge systems which impact on the actions local and global scales.
of those involved.
Source: Department of Education (2003b)
Environmental concerns are infused in the Grade 10 syllabus content as well. There are opportunities to
teach EE and ESD in the topic Atmosphere: weather and climate in the section on Impact of humans on
the atmosphere and weather (e.g. the ozone issue, global warming, acid rain, the greenhouse effect)
(Department of Education 2003b: 26). Additionally, the topic on People and places has a section on
“population issues and dilemmas including poverty, racism, employment, conflicts, inequalities, HIV
and AIDS and refugees” (Department of Education 2003b: 27) and gender issues. The inclusion of
these social problems in the Grade 10 syllabus provides opportunities to teach EE and ESD. Another
opportunity to teach EE and ESD is in the topic People and their organisations. The concepts of
democracy and human rights are incorporated in this topic. According to the geography NCS
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(Department of Education 2003b: 27), the “section emphasises human interactions with the
environment that promote democratic processes, social justice, economic sustainability and peace.”
During the interviews, a number of teachers persistently confirmed the infusion of environmental
concerns in the curriculum, especially in the Grade 11 syllabus (see Table 5.7). Maggie, the Head of
Social Sciences Department in School 1, pointed out that the sustainable development concept is
frequently mentioned in the curriculum. She observed:
We have to teach them [the learners] what the term “sustainable development” means …
and what it means to use our resources sustainably. The sustainable development concept
is not only incorporated in the geography curriculum but also in biology, Life Sciences and
other subjects.
A number of teachers specifically mentioned the Grade 11 syllabus where development and
sustainability themes are central to the syllabus. Johan, the Head of the geography Department of
School 2 stated:
In the Grade 11 syllabus, there is a large section on development and

sustainability, people and their needs which we cover for more than one term.
Hilton, who teaches in the same school as Johan, agrees with the above observation. Furthermore, his
view of the incorporation of environmental concerns in the curriculum is very interesting and
informative. Hilton comments:
If one looks at the Grade 11 syllabus, everything is basically about the environment. It is
basically about changing the views of people about the environment through sustainable
development. In the topics that we deal with like sustainable development [development
and sustainability] and the people and their needs and even when we look at water masses
in Africa - in all these themes we are looking at the need to protect and conserve the
environment … one central golden thread that goes straight through [the geography
curriculum] is the issue about environmental education and changing peoples’ attitudes,
views and values about the environment.
In contrast to Robert’s view that the curriculum mainly focuses on the teaching of knowledge (see
Section 5.4.3), Hilton mentions the need to influence learners’ attitudes and values in addition to
teaching knowledge through geography education so as to promote sustainable living.
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The views of some the teachers mentioned above confirm the incorporation of environmental concerns
in the Grade 11 syllabus content. As observed in the Grade 10 syllabus, environmental concerns are
incorporated in the learning outcomes as well as in the assessment standards of the Grade 11 syllabus
(see Table 5.7). The relevant sections where environmental concerns are incorporated are underlined in
Table 5.7.

Geographical skills and Techniques (practical  Plan and structure a project or enquiry process.
competence)  Acquire a variety of information from relevant
Learners will be expected to plan and structure a primary and secondary sources which include
project/enquiry process using a range of different fieldwork.
geographical skills and techniques at a more advanced  Classify the acquired information according to
level in order to use and manipulate data and different categories.
information. Furthermore, learners should demonstrate  Analyse information obtained from a variety of
the skills of reporting findings and/or taking a sources – including fieldwork data, 1: 50 000
substantiated position. topographical maps, orthophoto maps and
statistics.
 Report findings in written, oral and/or illustrative
form.

Knowledge and understanding (foundational  Explain processes and associated spatial
competence) patterns in a range of places and regions.
Learners will be expected to demonstrate a basic  Compare and contrast processes and spatial
understanding of physical and human processes and the patterns between places and/or between regions.
patterns which result from them, as well as the  Examine issues and challenges arising from
interactions between humans and the environment on a human and environment interactions in a local
local and a continental scale. and continental context.
 Explain different measures of conserving the
environment while addressing human needs in a
variety of contexts.

Application (reflexive competence)  Apply skills and knowledge to a range of
Learners will be expected to apply acquired knowledge phenomena, issues and challenges at local and
and skills in order to select appropriate procedures continental scales.
within given parameters to propose solutions or  Examine the consequences of actions resulting
strategies to manage local or global problems, from values and attitudes held by individuals and
recognising the values, attitudes and knowledge groups which influence processes, spatial
systems which inform those involved. patterns and human-environment interactions at
local and continental scales.
However, Hilton is critical of the over-emphasis of the sustainability theme in the Grade 11 syllabus.
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Hilton commented:
At the moment the emphasis [on sustainability] is too much ... the whole Grade 11 syllabus
is about environmental issues and sustainability whereas at Grade 12 the learners struggle
with climatology.
Hilton would have preferred the reduction of environmental themes and the shifting of some of the
physical geography topics such as climatology and river action from the Grade 12 to the Grade 11
syllabus. According to Hilton, this would address issues of lack of continuity between some physical
geography topics in Grade 11 and 12.
As is the case with the Grade 10 and 11 syllabuses, environmental concerns are incorporated in the
Grade 12 learning outcomes and assessment standards (see Table 5.8). The relevant sections are
underlined in Table 5.8. Environmental concerns are infused in the syllabus content as well. The Grade
12 syllabus incorporates the themes on disaster management and the application of the concept of
sustainability in the management of issues related to the growth of settlements, economic activities and
water (Department of Education 2003b). Furthermore, opportunities are also provided for the
application of local authorities’ Agenda 21 for resolving issues related to the growth of settlements
(Department of Education 2003b).
The geography NCS suggests strategies for implementing EE and ESD through the curriculum. First,
there are many references to the term “issues” or “issues and challenges” in the preamble of the
syllabuses: the aims and scope of geography education; and the learning outcomes and assessment
standards (see Tables 5.6-5.8). Furthermore, issues and challenges are frequently referred to in the
content of the three syllabuses. The term “issues” or “issues and challenges” refers to environmental
problems: problems affecting the biophysical environment, issues with democracy, human rights and
social (in)justice that result from human-environmental interactions.
Furthermore, the inclusion of the term “issues” provides an opportunity to focus on environmental and
developmental problems in the teaching and learning programmes (Tilbury 1997). It also provides an
opportunity to teach EE and ESD using the issues-based approach (see Section 2.7.2.2). The issues-
based approach can help to improve prospects for the development of problem-solving skills and
opportunities for taking action on local problems. The teachers and learners can engage in personal
reflection which could bring them a step closer to personal transformation (Tilbury 1997). Secondly, the
idea of critical thinking is mentioned in the purpose and scope of geography. The inclusion of the idea
on critical thinking provides an opportunity for geography teachers to develop teaching and learning
programmes that inculcate critical thinking.
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Geographical skills and Techniques (practical
competence)  Plan a geographical research project of limited
Learners will be expected to use a range of geographical extent in a familiar context.
skills and techniques in order to use and manipulate  Integrate information from a variety of sources.
data and information. Furthermore, learners should  Compare and contrast information from a variety
demonstrate the skills to communicate and present of sources.
findings/information reliably and accurately.  Analyse the acquired information in order to
answer the initial question.
 Substantiate the findings in written, oral or
illustrative form.

Knowledge and understanding (foundational  Explain the influence of processes and
competence) associated spatial patterns in a range of places
Learners will be expected to demonstrate a fundamental and regions.
knowledge of physical and human processes and the  Account for similarities and differences in
patterns which result from them, as well as interactions processes and spatial patterns between places
between humans and the environment on a local and a and between regions.
national scale.  Explore possible responses to issues and
challenges arising from human and environment
interactions in a local and national context.
 Examine different approaches used to sustain the
environment that take into account different
knowledge systems in a variety of contexts.
Learning Outcome 3 We know this when the learner is able to:
Application (reflexive competence)  Apply skills and knowledge to a range of
Learners will be expected to apply acquired knowledge phenomena, issues and challenges at local and
and skills to propose solutions or strategies to manage national scales.
local or national problems, adapt known/common  Examine values and attitudes held by individuals
solutions for different problems and contexts, and groups associated with processes, spatial
recognising values, attitudes and knowledge systems patterns and human-environment interactions at
informing the actions of those involved. local and national scales.
Critical thinking skills are required in order to identify the root causes of environmental problems and
to reflect on personal and political contributions to the environmental problems (Tilbury 1997; Tilbury
& Wortman 2006). Thirdly, the suggestion that learners should be involved in asking questions,
collecting information, organising and analysing it and then answering questions implies that the
enquiry method (see Section 2.6.4) should be used. Enquiry learning includes the use of the fieldwork
technique to acquire information. According to Ballantyne (1986), enquiry learning is one of the most
effective strategies for teaching geographical knowledge, skills, attitudes and values.
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This discussion indicates that there are numerous opportunities for teaching EE and ESD in the
geography NCS. Strategies for implementing the curriculum are also suggested. Given these
opportunities, do teachers exploit them? What are their views concerning the incorporation of
environmental concerns in the geography lessons?
5.3.2 The incorporation of EE and ESD in the geography lessons
There were varied responses concerning the incorporation EE and ESD in the geography lessons.
Maggie comments:
I do not always plan to include EE in every lesson. It depends on what the lesson is. If I
teach a lesson that has to do with different rock types, I don’t necessarily include
environment. I include environmental education only when it is relevant.
The implication of this response is that EE and ESD is mainly taught in human geography and less in
physical geography. Maggie’s response emanates from the practice of teaching physical and human
geography separately, as observed by Ramutsindela (2001) (see Section 3.3.7).
Johan’s response gives the impression that he does not make a conscious effort to plan for the
incorporation of EE and ESD in the geography lessons. He says:
… in general, if you come across something in your lesson or in the textbook that may lead
to environmental geography, then you have a discussion in the class on that. You find out
from the class what they think and how they can contribute to that [addressing
environmental issues].
However, Hilton’s plans incorporate EE and ESD in the geography lessons. One of the classes that he
taught in 2010 was Grade 11. Hilton commented:
I have my lessons on PowerPoint and so, as part of the objectives and key questions, I
include sustainable development. So, sustainable development is a theme that basically
runs throughout all the lessons covered in modules like people and their needs and
sustainable development [development and sustainability]. So the sustainable development
concept constantly comes out in the unravelling of the information.
Lloyd has a similar take to that of Maggie concerning how he incorporates EE and ESD into the
geography lessons. He observes:
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I do not always incorporate EE in the geography lessons. Some parts of the geography
curriculum would not reflect those issues, for example if I have a lesson on mid-latitude
cyclones then I would not touch on environmental issues in certain lessons. There comes a
time after a series of lessons on the topic especially at the end. We usually look at [EE] at
the end part of these topics. The end part of these topics will be about the relationships
between people and the environment for example, but it is one of the lessons. It is not every
lesson [that incorporates EE and ESD].
Like Maggie, Lloyd seems to separate the biophysical from the human environment and only considers
environmental impacts when dealing with the human environment. Furthermore, Maggie and Lloyd
give an impression of marginalizing EE and ESD when they implement the geography curriculum.
According to them, environmental issues are not at the centre of human-environment interactions.
Thomas’s comment noted earlier that the Grade 10 syllabus does not include environmental issues (see
Section 5.3.1) implies that he has not reflected on topical environmental issues. Therefore, he is not
likely to consciously make an effort to teach EE and ESD effectively. His attitude is a reflection of the
old school geography which was concerned with the teaching of a mass of facts to prepare learners for
examinations (Nel & Binns 1999).
Robert’s view is that, in planning the lessons, he is guided by the predetermined lesson outcomes
which, according to him, do not always integrate EE and ESD. Robert seems to marginalise EE and
ESD in the teaching and learning programmes. He commented:
They [the learners] normally get a worksheet based on the work they have done and right
at the end there will be something on how that specific section impacts on the environment.
Robert added:
At the moment it is basically knowledge from my side. For instance I first teach knowledge
of the atmosphere and climate. Within atmosphere and climate, one focuses on global
warming. Global warming will not be the starting point. It will be the finishing point. If
there is a problem or issue, I first give them the knowledge which we then link to the issue.
This is another illustration of Robert’s tendency to treat EE and ESD as an appendage to the topic and
not at the centre of human-environment interactions. Concerning the incorporation of EE and ESD in
the geography lessons, Oliver who teaches in the same school as Robert observed:
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We take note of the environment. We have chapters in our syllabuses: weather and climate,
and then sustainable development and people and places. Therefore, in our planning, daily
planning, weekly planning or yearly planning we plan … with the environment in mind.
Oliver is referring to the Grade 11 syllabus. From the above statement, it appears that Oliver
incorporates environmental concerns in most of the geography lessons. It is not enough to incorporate
EE and ESD in the geography lesson plans. For the teaching and learning of EE and ESD to be more
effective, the recommended pedagogical approaches such as learner-centred approaches that promote
active learning should be used (see Sections 2.6.4 and 3.3.2).
5.3.3 Enabling pedagogical approaches
The participant teachers use varied pedagogical approaches to implement the new geography
curriculum. Maggie’s comment was:
I use learner-centred approaches most of the time. In an OBE lesson, most of the time my
focus is on the learner-centred approach. When I do a structured lesson, I sometimes make
a statement and then the learners speak about it. I approach the teaching of EE and ESD in
the same way. I often ask the learners to give examples from places where they live. When I
am dealing with a topic such as “People and their needs”, where we look at informal
settlements, we use illustrations of environmental problems from such places. I used for
example, the whole issue with the toilets46 that was in the newspaper.
She also mentioned that she refers in her teaching to the perennial issue of summer fires in the Western
Cape. She added:
We experience a lot of fires here … for example we had fires in the Helderberg Nature
Reserve [in 2010] … I speak a lot about the impact of fires – the effect the fire has on the
fynbos [indigenous vegetation] – that it [the fynbos] needs to be destroyed by fire in order
to grow. When I deal with biomes in Africa, I go into depth on the importance of veld fires.
Maggie’s first comment implies that she often uses class discussions in her lessons but she pointed out
that she seldom uses debates. Furthermore, there is a focus on local environmental issues in some of her
lessons so as to increase the learners’ awareness of local problems and hopefully to work on possible
46
According to Tempelhoff (2012), the controversial open toilets saga was uncovered by the media in 2010. At the centre of this saga, were
2,000 water-based but unenclosed toilets in the Makhaza section of Khayelitsha Township in Cape Town. The media later uncovered 1,600
unenclosed toilets in the Rammulotsi area of Viljoenskroon in the Free State province. The open toilets saga highlighted the perennial issue of
poor service delivery for some of the previously disadvantaged communities.
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solutions as well. However, in the example on the issue of fires she seems to revert to the teacher-
centred exposition or transmissive approach because she says “I speak a lot about the impact of fires.”
Maggie also regularly gives assignments on environmental issues. These are in the form of mini-
projects. She stated:
I gave an assignment on global warming … I gave my matriculants an assignment on

Chapman’s Peak, [to investigate] what happened in the whole mountain area – the
removal of indigenous plants and all that stuff.
Ian who teaches in the same school as Maggie said that he occasionally gives research assignments to
the learners as well. It appears that Maggie and Ian have given the learners similar assignments. He
commented:
… when we do research assignments, I give them certain questions and then instruct them
to go to the library, the internet or wherever they can find information. They bring the
information back and I check whether it is relevant and then they continue with the
assignment. Some of the topics are on causes and impacts of global warming. In Grade 12
the learners researched environmental problems such as the causes and the impact of rock
falls along the slopes of Chapman’s Peak.
Of the five schools, School 2 is the only one where geography excursions are conducted regularly and
effectively used as a pedagogical approach. This is a well resourced school (see Section 5.1.1) with
small geography class sizes (see Table 5.2). The total number of geography learners in 2011 at FET (Gr
10-12) level in School 2 was only 90 learners, whereas in each of the other four schools the total
number of learners doing geography at the same level is four to five times greater (see Tables 5.1-5.5).
Furthermore, some of the classes are large and there are more geography classes per grade. According
to Johan, the Head of the Geography Department of School 2, the Grade 12s visit the Koeberg nuclear
power station. The Grade 11s visit the Palmiet hydroelectric power station in Grabouw, while the Grade
10s go to the mapwork office in Mowbray and to the weather station in Cape Town. The officials at
these sites then take over from the teachers and lead the learners on conducted tours of the respective
sites. Additionally, with the help of audio visual aids, the learners are given information on power
production, environmental impacts of power production, the processes of map production, and the
measurement of weather elements. When the learners return to the school, they are given assignments
based on what they observed and learned during the excursions. Johan pointed out that these excursions
provide an opportunity for the learners to observe the impacts of other human-environment interactions
along the way, for example agriculture, and how the negative impacts are being managed. This case is
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an example of education in the environment, a pedagogical approach which promotes experiential

learning (see Section 3.1.1.2).
Johan says that he generally uses both teacher-centred and learner-centred approaches. He commented:
Sometimes I give them everything [through a transmissive, teacher-centred approach] but

at other times I divide them into groups and give them topics to research on and then
present to the class. These group assignments can be on any topic in the syllabus.
Group work assignments are an example of a learner-centred approach as they promote active learning
recommended for teaching EE and ESD (see Section 3.3.2).
Hilton had this to say about the learner-centred approach:
As a facilitator, the teacher has to make the lessons interactive where he/she gets response
and feedback from the learners. I think to a large extent, I do succeed in that I try and steer
away from the old paradigm of teacher-centred education where teaching is a monologue.
There is always an interaction between myself and the learners. The emphasis is on the
learner and not the teacher. I try to stimulate them as far as humanly possible to
participate and discover the knowledge themselves. In some lessons it works very well but
in others it does not. It also depends on the content and the knowledge that you are dealing
with. Sometimes it is necessary to revert to the old teaching style [teacher-centred
approach] for scaffolding so as to build foundational knowledge that may be lacking.
Hilton appears to understand the rationale for using learner-centred approaches as well as his role in the
teaching and learning process. Hilton further elaborated:
I use various methods such as simulation, group work, role-play, debates and class
discussions. At the beginning of the term I used group work where the learners were given
case studies to go and read. In each case study, they had to identify a problem arising from
the use of some resources. Each group was then asked to present its findings to the rest of
the class. A debate ensued on environmental issues identified by the learners.
According to Oliver, excursions are occasionally organised for a limited number of learners due to
shortage of finance. He gives an example:
Last year we took 25 Grade 11s to the opening of the new Berg River dam in the Boland
near Franschhoek. Only 25 learners were able to contribute the R10.00 fare that had been
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charged. Shortage of finance limits the number of field trips that can be organised … The
learners did not have work sheets but they got information in the form of handouts from the
authorities at the dam site. No follow up assignment was given to the learners after the trip.
This pedagogical approach is likely to have been ineffectively utilised because it involved a limited
number of learners. Furthermore, the learners do not appear to have been given guidelines by the
teacher on what activities to engage in so as to fully exploit the opportunity of teaching EE and ESD
through fieldwork.
Godwin, the subject head of School 4 commented:
We use both learner-centred and teacher-centred approaches. We sometimes give them

[the learners] projects and assignments where they go and research in libraries and find
the information for themselves. Sometimes we only teach them [transmissive approach],
but at other times we give them tasks that they go and find information themselves.
It appears that in these projects and assignments, given by Godwin as well as by Maggie and Ian in the
examples discussed above, the emphasis is on the collection of factual information by the learners. This
is likely to promote the learning of knowledge at the expense of skills, attitudes and values which are
required for more sustainable lifestyles.
Vena, who also teaches in School 4 said:
I use the learner-centred approach more than the teacher-centred approach. This includes
discussions, tasks, assignments and projects. I sometimes assign them tasks where they look
for information instead of getting it from me.
Vena appears to give projects regularly, one project per term for her Grade 11 class. She explained that
the learners get information from the library in order to answer the project questions. As noted earlier,
the main emphasis in the writing of projects is on the collection of factual information that promotes the
learning of knowledge at the expense of skills, attitudes and values.
5.3.4 Awareness of local environmental problems and action taken
Some of the teacher participants showed that they were reasonably aware of the local environmental
problems. Maggie and Ian from School 1 expressed their concerns regarding the pollution of the
Lourens River which is located in the vicinity of their school.
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Ian commented:
Years back people used to swim in the Lourens River, but currently the river is not so active
anymore. Human activities that take place on the upstream side of the river are
contributing to water pollution.
Ian is of the view that the recreational activities along the course of the river have decreased due to
increased water pollution. Maggie took the initiative of cleaning a section of the same river a couple of
times four years ago.
Maggie stated:
We went with the learners to clean a section of the Lourens River closest to our school. We
dressed in safety wear including gloves on our hands and then removed plastic bottles,
cans, plastic bags and so on from the river… The learners found the activity distasteful but
they enjoyed being outside.
Maggie took a Grade 11 class for the cleaning activity. Taking the Grade 11 class instead of junior
classes would enable her to link the activity to the syllabus topics. She could use the activity as a
pedagogical approach for teaching water pollution.
Maggie added:
We analysed the waste and discussed the sources of the pollution. We studied the water
ecosystem and I asked the learners to find out the impact of pollution on the river
ecosystem. We also had a discussion about the effect of the different plants growing on the
banks of the river and the fact that they clog the river up. Our visit to the river was a follow
up of a lesson on rivers and the problem of pollution. We also linked this discussion to the
impact of pollution of the river from informal settlements.
She has since discontinued the activity because of time constraints. Furthermore, she is concerned about
the safety of learners because there has been an increase in the number of homeless persons living along
the course of the river. Maggie also mentioned a topical issue in 2010 concerning the N2 project. This
involved the upgrading of one of the roads which would affect adjacent residential housing close to the
school.
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The principal of School 3 is very concerned about environmental degradation in and around the
township where School 3 is located. The quality of what used to be a recreational area for the residents
has been seriously degraded. The principal attributes the degradation to two factors. First, his perception
is that service delivery has deteriorated in recent years. Because of the poor refuse removal service
provided by the municipality, the residents end up dumping refuse in the open areas around the
township. Second, the national government awarded tenders to three mining companies to extract sand
from the sand dunes for construction purposes. The demand for construction materials increased as
result of the construction of the soccer stadia for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The sand mining process
has resulted in the flattening of some of the sand dunes. The principal, who is a resident of the
township, believes the destruction of the sand dunes is likely to not only leave a scarred landscape but
could also adversely affect the micro-climate of the township.
5.4 CHALLENGES FACED BY TEACHERS IN IMPLEMENTING EE AND ESD THROUGH

THE GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM
5.4.1 Perspectives on the subject matter
The participant teachers’ perspectives on the nature of geography and geography education differ
widely. Similarly, their perspectives on environmental education, sustainable development and
education for sustainable development also vary. Their views on the above subjects have implications
for the successful implementation of EE and ESD through the geography curriculum.
5.4.1.1 Perspectives on the nature of geography and geography education
Hilton views geography education from the perspective of assessment. Referring to the implementation
of OBE and its influence on geography education, he commented:
To a large extent the teaching and learning is virtually the same because geography has
always been a subject that is based on data response. You try and bring the real world into
the classroom and through that you try to stimulate the learner.
According to Robert:
Geography is what can you see now in front of you? What is the impact of the objects that
you see on the environment? Is it positive or negative?
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Lloyd remarked:
Geography in South Africa has always had this type of [learner-centred] approach. We
challenge the learner with data in assessment. They are often required to read, make
deductions and draw graphs.
Lloyd’s view of geography is similar to that of Hilton. Geography is viewed from the positivist
perspective which promotes technical solutions to environmental problems. Furthermore, there is a
tendency to maintain the status quo in the process of tackling environmental problems. Robert’s view of
geography is that it should incorporate environmental concerns.
5.4.1.2 Perspectives on EE
Maggie observed:
As a geographer I have got to be mindful of what is going on in the environment and I have
to teach the learners about the environment. It is difficult [to teach the learners about the
environment] because they do not appear to care for the environment. This is shown by the
littering that occurs in the school grounds after the intervals. In spite of the fact that bins
are provided all over the school grounds, the learners still leave the school grounds littered
with waste. These learners do not respect the environment. I have to be careful how I
behave towards the environment and I also have to tell the learners about the environment.
Ian observed:
Currently people are afraid of what is going to happen with the ozone layer and the
problem of global warming. There is also concern about excessive removal of vegetation
and the destruction of animal habitats which could result in some animals becoming
extinct. I told the learners that we need to include their parents when educating them about
these problems.
Hilton’s view is that:
Environmental education is the teaching and learning about the biodiversity and how it
needs to be managed but obviously the natural environment is the source that provides us
with natural resources that we need to provide for ourselves. Obviously you cannot
separate environmental education from sustainable development because the healthiness of
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the environment is going to determine whether you will be able to sustain yourself and
develop and grow.
According to Robert:
Environmental education can be education on the environment …
Oliver stated:
My understanding of environmental education is that you have to take the learners nearer
to the environment and tell them more about what happens around them, not only in class
or in the textbook but what happens around.
Godwin commented:
Environmental education deals with conservation of resources: we must conserve water;

we must not pollute; we must not litter; we must not cut down trees.
It appeared as if Vena had not come across the term environmental education because she asked the
question:
What is environmental education?
Concerning what he understands about environmental education, Lloyd observed:
It is to make the learners sensitive about the physical environment so that they can first of
all notice it. I have lived in this town for 30 years. Do I still see the mountain [located just
outside the town]? So at the end of the day as part of the [aims of the] geography syllabus
[curriculum], the learner should be able to:
1. appreciate the environment;
2. handle the environment with respect; and,
3. look after it because it is part of the ecosystem.
Thomas views environmental education as:
Education that looks at all aspects of the environment.
Furthermore, Thomas is of the view that:

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Geography that focuses more on environmental issues will be more interesting to the
learners. There are some learners who say that they are doing geography because they
were forced to go to a certain stream. Then there are those who love geography. I think
incorporating something [an issue] that affects them in their environment might stimulate
their interest in the lessons.
The responses of the teacher participants vary from apparent ignorance of what environmental
education is (for example Vena and Robert), to environmental education as conservation education (for
example the views demonstrated by Maggie, Ian, Hilton, Oliver, Godwin and Lloyd). The main reason
why environmental education is viewed as conservation education is that some of the participants
conceive of the environment as mainly consisting of the biophysical component. They seem to exclude
the human agent that consists of the social, economic and political components that interact with each
other as well as with the biophysical environment (see Section 3.1). Thomas mentioned that
environmental education deals with all aspects of the environment but he did not elaborate. At least,
unlike the other participants, he seems to have a broader view of the meaning of environment.
In communicating the different ways in which they make sense of environmental education, some of the
participants reveal the pedagogical approaches which they are likely to use. Maggie, Ian and Oliver
state that there is a need to tell the learners about the environment. The discourse of telling implies that
they know all about environmental problems and that they are likely to use transmissive pedagogical
approaches to teach knowledge about environmental problems and how to manage them. As a result,
other aims of geography education such as the acquisition of skills, attitudes and values are not likely to
be addressed.
5.4.1.3 Perspectives on SD and ESD
The teacher participants struggle to make sense of the meaning of the term sustainable development and
education for sustainable development. Maggie’s view of sustainable development is that:
We speak about the fact that their children [learners’ children] should not be deprived of
the resources [concern with future generations]. Environmental education and sustainable
development cannot be separated because the one is dependent on the other.
Ian observed:
I asked the learners in class one time whether they had seen animals such as the
rhinoceros, crayfish and abalone. Excessive extraction could result in some of these
animals becoming extinct within a few years. I then told them that their kids [future
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generations] will not know what the rhinoceros, crayfish or abalone looked like. They will
go to the museum to see specimens of the animals.
Ian then added:
Environmental education and sustainable development are incorporated into one

another.
Hilton commented:
Environmental education and sustainable development should be integrated. You cannot

separate the two entities. If you want sustainable development, you need to take care of the
environment. These two should be integrated.
Concerning sustainable development, Robert observed:
You must look after the resource and make sure that there is something for the next person
or the next generation.
Oliver commented:
There is a relationship between environmental education and sustainable development.

Both deal with the environment; the one for now and the other on a longer term. So you
have to take care of the environment as it is now and also how it will be tomorrow or ten
years from now.
According to Godwin, environmental education and sustainable development are synonymous.

Godwin stated:
Environmental education and sustainable development mean the same. People must be
educated to sustain things. They must not just misuse them. They must conserve resources.
Lloyd had this to say about sustainable development:
Sustainable development talks about an ongoing process to secure life, to secure the future
and that what we do today impacts tomorrow.
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Concerning the relationship between environmental education and sustainable development, Lloyd
added:
You cannot have one without the other [referring to environmental education and
sustainable development]. A solution means you find an answer and that means that the
issue will be solved for future generations. Sustainable development is the answer to
environmental issues.
Thomas’s view of sustainable development is that:
When we use our resources we must keep in mind that there are generations which are
coming and so we must use them in such a way that we do not deplete the resources to
enable future generations to benefit from them as well.
The dominant perspective of sustainable development revealed by the participants (Maggie, Ian, Robert,
Oliver, Lloyd and Thomas) is the one promoted by WCED (1987), which I elaborate on in Chapter 6.
According to the teacher participants, “sustainable development” deals with the conservation of
resources to enable not only present generations but also future generations to benefit. For Godwin, the
term “sustainable development” is synonymous with conservation education, which focuses on the
conservation of resources. Vena had difficulty in making sense of what the term “sustainable
development” means.
Regarding how she makes sense of the term “education for sustainable development”, Maggie
responded:
I basically do the terms with them [the learners] and ask them to be mindful of what they
are doing in the environment because whatever they are doing in the environment has an
impact on the sustainability of a resource.
Ian commented:
I do my best to bring in environmental education and education for sustainable

development as well in some of the lessons. I normally try and incorporate those two into
my lessons. Even if it does not fit I will bring it in so as to make the learners aware that it is
not a once off thing. We need to continue with this.
Hilton has an interesting view of education for sustainable development:

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Education for sustainable development is necessary because the problem that we have with
development is that you always have the risk when you develop that you exhaust and
deplete your resources. It is necessary that we have environmental awareness about the
way we use our resources so that we can modify our behaviour so that we can develop at a
sustained rate; that we always have resources or alternatives at our disposal to keep on
developing.
Hilton added:
But the important thing that I want to stress about education for sustainable development is
that it [development] should not only benefit the rich. Sustainable development can achieve
the objective of getting a more even distribution of economic growth and economic wealth
so that poverty in the process can be reduced. So the whole issue of poverty should also, in
my understanding, be addressed in education for sustainable development.
Robert observed:
I think it [education for sustainable development] can be useful but it must be linked within
the learning outcomes especially Learning Outcome Three, that deals with application. It
deals with the teaching of the conservation of resources.
Godwin stated that education for sustainable development refers to conservation education. According
to Lloyd, education for sustainable development can be looked at from two perspectives:
The focus can be on education as a process or education in terms of what is the learner or
receiver taking with him / her. It can also be on what is being taught or how it is being
taught.
Thomas responded:
I have never heard about the term. I have only heard about the term “sustainable
development”.
Oliver and Vena did not appear to have come across the term “education for sustainable development”.
They were struggling to make sense of what it means.
From the responses given by the teacher participants it can be observed that some of them have not
come across the term “education for sustainable development”. The dominant view revealed by the
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teacher participants’ responses is that education for sustainable development is the same as
environmental education and focuses on the conservation of resources. Hilton’s perspective includes
sustainable development where he mentions sustained economic growth. Furthermore, Hilton’s views
on education for sustainable development raise a number of questions. First, does sustained economic
growth always lead to the eradication of poverty? Second, is it possible to maintain sustained economic
growth without adversely affecting the environment through the depletion of the resources and the
generation of various forms of pollution? Nevertheless, Hilton’s perspective that issues of poverty need
to be addressed is quite commendable.
5.4.2 Challenges with pedagogical approaches
5.4.2.1 Use of teacher-centred pedagogical approaches
EE and ESD cannot be taught effectively using teacher-centred, transmissive pedagogical approaches.
In contrast to Hilton’s practice (see Section 5.3.3), Robert, Oliver, Lloyd and Thomas acknowledged
that they predominantly use the teacher-centred approach. Robert commented:
At the moment we rely heavily on the teacher-centred approach. Basically the first three
quarters or two thirds of my lesson is teacher-centred. The learner-centred part is right at
the end. I first give them everything. Maybe I spoil them. It could be this traditional belief
that we feel they must receive everything from us. This teaching approach results from the
fact that I work towards effectively achieving learner outcomes.
Similarly, Oliver predominantly uses the teacher-centred approach. Commenting on the learner-centred
approach, he said:
I have heard of that [the learner-centred approach]. We do not really give much attention
to that but I have heard of it. For some of the chapters in our syllabi, we let the learners
first do some things and then continue with our lessons. There is not much of this though.
Oliver then continued:
I predominantly use the teacher-centred approach. Seventy five percent of my lessons are
teacher-centred. I prepare the lessons and then come and present them to the learners by
writing on the blackboard.
I may use an overhead projector or textbooks but the teacher is the one who presents it.
He/she speaks a lot and could ask the learners questions etc.
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The explanation provided by Oliver for the dominance of the teacher-centred approach in his lessons
was:
I would not say I prefer it [the teacher-centred approach] but a long time ago when I
trained to be a teacher, that was the main method I was trained in. Afterwards, with the
coming of OBE we were exposed to the other pedagogical approaches. Because I have
been teaching for more than 30 years, I still have to adapt to the other pedagogical
approaches such as the learner-centred approach.
Lloyd from School 5 says the following about the pedagogical approach:
The learner-centred approach is not dominant. It depends on the circumstances and the
type of learner. We believe that not all [the learners] would be mature already to be tasked
with that responsibility [of working with minimum guidance]. Therefore I would say that
the dominant approach is still the teacher-centred approach.
In order to justify the teacher-centred approach, Lloyd argued:
We are faced with challenges from the Department [of Education], of achieving certain
outcomes. We need to go through a certain amount of work in the form of assessment tasks
within a specific time and most of our learners have poor backgrounds and poor academic
skills. These learners need to be nurtured. Language is also a barrier to learning – English
is their second language. This means that we need more time to work through the
syllabuses than in other schools. The learner-centred approach takes more time. There are
opportunities where we can incorporate the learner but I would say 70% of the lessons are
teacher-driven.
Although Thomas had stated initially that he predominantly used the learner-centred approach in
teaching, further probing revealed that he actually uses the teacher-centred approach. Thomas teaches in
the same school as Lloyd, School 5. Thomas later commented:
We are spoon-feeding them [the learners]. One of the main problems influencing learner
involvement is that they struggle to express themselves because English is a second
language. You realise that it takes too long to give learners adequate time to participate
because of their poor language skills. Much less time is provided to learners to talk in
class. Because they struggle to express themselves, the teacher gets impatient and ends up
talking much more than the learners.
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In Section 5.3.1, I mentioned that the main pedagogical approach that is prescribed in the geography
NCS is the enquiry method (see also Sections 2.7.2.2). The method “provides learners with ways of
thinking critically and creatively about the problems or issues they study (e.g. the impact of HIV/AIDS
on population dynamics, environmental quality, socio-economic disparities, hazards and disasters,
poverty and resource management in a country)” (Department of Education 2003b: 12). Using the
enquiry method, EE and ESD can be taught more effectively because, besides the teaching of
knowledge and skills, it creates awareness of the nature of attitudes and values of decision-makers. It
also provides an opportunity for learners to clarify their own values (Tilbury 1997).
5.4.2.2 The enquiry approach
Most of the teacher participants have challenges with the meaning and use of the enquiry method. They
view the enquiry method simply as involving research projects based on the collection of factual
information from the textbooks, newspapers or the internet. When the enquiry method is used in this
manner, it only promotes the learning of knowledge at the expense of skills, attitudes and values.
Maggie commented:
We have to do that [enquiry learning] because they [the learners] have to do research. In
their bibliography they have to show me where they got information and how they
interpreted it. My criteria are set up accordingly so that they will know what I am looking
for when I am marking.
Further probing revealed that she has not taken time to reflect on the meaning of the enquiry method.
Maggie gave a conflicting statement:
I do not use it very much. My approach is that I basically use the question and answer
method. I give an explanation and then I pose a question and they [the learners] speak to
me – there is discussion.
Regarding the meaning of enquiry method, Maggie responded again in a contradictory manner:
I do not give much attention to that. I use a method that I find comfortable for me to go
through the syllabus. If I do not feel comfortable with it, I do not use it.
According to Ian, enquiry learning involves giving research assignments and projects as noted in my
comment above. Johan’s observation of enquiry learning is that:
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Ideally this strategy could help to create awareness of [environmental] issues among
learners and also teach them how to address issues instead of spoon-feeding them all the
time with information.
Johan added:
The enquiry learning is only suitable for gifted learners. They are more likely to go out and
find the information whereas the average learners are not likely to do it. Where can they
get the information – libraries, the internet? Use of the method is restricted by time
constraints.
Johan’s first comment implies that he understands the effectiveness of enquiry learning in implementing
EE and ESD through the geography curriculum but it is unfortunate that he thinks that enquiry learning
can only be used by gifted learners and that it is time-consuming.
Similarly, Hilton’s view of enquiry learning is that it is time consuming. He observes:
… some of the strategies like enquiry learning are very time consuming and one has a lot to
cover in the syllabus [in order to prepare the learners for the exam]. So … enquiry
learning would be very difficult to implement due to the fact that one has to cover a huge
amount of work. So I have not used enquiry in the way that I would have liked. We took the
learners on an excursion and they had to go and collect information which they put into
research reports afterwards.
Concerning his understanding of enquiry learning, Hilton remarked:
My understanding is that when you are busy with a lesson and then certain issues in the
lesson arise you ask the learners to go and investigate. For example when we were dealing
with the use of resources and opportunities that resources provide for people, we
mentioned diamonds with reference to Congo and Sierra Leone. I asked the learners to
reflect on the movie that was made on Blood Diamonds and to go and investigate and then
give the class feedback on what they discovered. In doing enquiry learning, it has to be
with support from the teacher. It must be followed up in class and scaffolding needs to be
built. You need to make a foundation and the knowledge be built on top of each other.
Otherwise it is another assignment or project you are giving them. You do not want any
form of report. You want the child [learner] to go a little bit wider and [enquiry learning]
enables you to widen the general knowledge of the learner pertaining to a particular
subject.
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According to Hilton, enquiry learning is all about increasing knowledge and not skills, attitudes and
values. Robert’s view of enquiry learning is that it means engaging the learners in research. He stated:
Enquiry is encouraged at FET level. They [learners] must go and do research, bring back
their findings as a project or assignment. We mark them mostly on rubric … so that they
know how their marks will be allocated.
Further probing indicated that Robert is not clear on what enquiry learning entails other than research
projects. He, however, acknowledged its usefulness in the teaching and learning of EE and ESD.
Similarly, Oliver’s view of enquiry learning is that it involves learners doing projects and assignments.
Oliver pointed out:
We are only using it [enquiry learning] in one term during the year when the learners do
projects or research tasks on the environment, our cities or topics like pollution and so on.
According to the Department of Education assessment guidelines, each grade does one
project per year.
Concerning the research methods used by the learners, Oliver commented:
For some of the projects we give them a framework for example to go and find information
on a specific topic from the library; to ask other people questions; or, to get information
from newspapers.
According to Oliver’s perspective, there is an emphasis on promoting the teaching of knowledge at the
expense of skills, attitudes and values. However, Oliver later stated that he has not come across the term
“enquiry learning” mentioned in the geography NCS document:
I have heard about it [enquiry learning] but I have not paid much attention to it.
Godwin, like most of the other participant teachers, views enquiry learning as the involvement of
learners in research projects. He said:
We make use of an assessment programme … we give projects following an assessment

programme from the Department of Education. Each term there is one project per grade at
FET.
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However, later he stated that he has not come across the term “enquiry learning” in the geography NCS
document. Vena pointed out:
I have come across the enquiry approach in the NCS document … It means if you are
teaching the learners, you should ask them questions. They could respond to those
questions in an assignment … The enquiry approach does not always mean the question
and answer method. You [the teacher] can ask the learners to analyse information and
pictures in a book. For example in a lesson on population, I can ask questions based on the
use of pictures or cartoons in a textbook.
Vena is quite aware that enquiry learning has to do with question-posing and finding answers. In
addition to finding information, enquiry learning should incorporate the teaching and learning of
problem-solving skills through fieldwork, as well as values clarification (Department of Education
2003b).
On the meaning of the enquiry approach, Lloyd commented:
As I understand it, it is more of the teacher posing a question to the learner and the learner
does some research and then comes back and we discuss it in class.
He then gave another view:
[Alternatively] I would not pose a question to them, but rather a statement or a hypothesis
where they must go and see whether it is true or not.
The second view of enquiry learning suggested by Lloyd is informed by the positivist worldview which
has been widely criticised for hindering the effective implementation of EE and ESD (see Section
3.1.1.2). Lloyd’s perception of the enquiry approach is that it means involving the learners in research
but he considers it as optional. In 2010, the geography learners at FET level in Lloyd’s school (School
5) were asked to do an open-book task instead of a research project because they “had a choice” of
methods of assessment. Because school time was shortened as a result of the staging of the 2010 Soccer
World Cup, an open-book task was more expedient than a research project. The shortage of teaching
time was also exacerbated by the prolonged public service strike.
Thomas stated that he has never come across the term “enquiry learning” in the NCS document.
Nevertheless, he then pointed out:
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We do give projects, for example where they enquire about globalisation [Grade 11
syllabus], to get information from the internet and encourage them to go to libraries. When
you look at the completed projects, you notice that they have written the same thing – most
of them have just plagiarised the information.
Again research, according to Thomas, involves the collection of information that enhances the learning
of knowledge at the expense of skills, attitudes and values as noted above.
A supplementary curriculum document, the Learning Programme Guidelines for geography

(Department of Education 2008a), provides information on the enquiry approach. The document
introduces the idea of key questions which are meant to guide the enquiry process. The teacher
participants did not mention this document but they referred much more to work schedules and pace
setters which do not incorporate the idea of the key question. A few participants who referred to key
questions in the interview and lesson plans, for example Ian, Hilton and Thomas, did not link key
questions to the enquiry approach. Hilton uses the idea of the key questions a lot in planning lessons
and in delivering the teaching and learning programmes (see Appendix B:6). When asked about how he
makes sense of the key question, Hilton commented:
I think if you want to teach geography, obviously you have to look at the syllabus … [and
then ask the question], what knowledge or content am I planning to teach? To make it
easier for yourself, set a key question that is in line with the content that you have to teach
and from there break it up into smaller components. The key question is quite important
because you want the learner to get a global picture of the information that you are trying
to convey. The key question basically covers the whole span of content that you are trying
to teach. Then there are smaller questions that you have to ask in order to get to the key
questions … It [the key question] is almost like an objective … Key questions help in the
development of critical thinking skills.
Fisher (1998) cited by Department of Education (2008a), cautions teachers that the question and answer
approach that elicits recall of factual information from learners is not the correct way of using key
questions to guide the enquiry process because it does not assist in the development of critical thinking
skills. According to Fisher (1998: 21), an enquiry process, guided by key questions, should be
characterised by “an investigative, open-ended orientation to the sequence of questions.”
Fieldwork is an integral part of the enquiry method because it enables the learners to go out and find
information on questions which they ask relating to particular environmental issues (Boardman 1986;
Naish, Rawling & Hart 2002).
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5.4.2.3 Teacher’s use of fieldwork activities
Maggie’s response concerning her use of fieldwork was:
I do not do fieldwork these days … We have a choice for the requirements. We can either
do fieldwork for a mark or a test or a research-based assignment. In my earlier days as a
teacher, I used to take the Grade 8s to the museum. I first went on my own in order to set
up a worksheet. I would then take four or five buses of children to the museum. I am not
doing that [fieldwork] anymore. The number of learners has increased and so the financial
costs [of doing fieldwork] would be prohibitive.
An analysis of the assessment guidelines confirms that fieldwork in geography at FET level is optional
as illustrated in the extract below relating to Grades 10 and 11:
Of the six tasks undertaken during the year, two tasks are tests, one is a mid-year
examination and the remaining three tasks should make use of different forms of
assessment such as research project (or assignment or fieldwork), a practical task (based
on map skills and analysis) and a model (or case study or creative response or data
handling or contextual analysis) (Department of Education 2008b: 9).
Ian, who teaches in the same school as Maggie, commented:
Fieldwork is a bit of a problem because a document came from the Department [of
Education] saying that any fieldwork cannot be done during school hours. That is why we
sort of stopped with fieldwork because the principal handed us a letter from the
Department saying that we are not allowed to do fieldwork anymore because it affects
contact time … In the last two years there were no geography field trips in the school.
Johan pointed out that the Department of Education guidelines stipulate one field trip per class per year.
Grade 10s, 11s and 12s go for an annual field trip (see Section 5.3.3) at this school (School 2).
Hilton’s view is that fieldwork must be distinguished from excursions. Concerning how he interprets
fieldwork, Hilton remarked:
You have to give the learner resources. For example, if you are doing a project on rivers,
you give the learners a map of the river and then explain certain concepts in the project
such as: Which part of the river is more polluted? Which part of the river experiences more
erosion? Where is the water cleaner? What is the size of the pebbles? The learners are
expected to record their information, collate the findings and then write a report.
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Hilton added:
At a school like this we have limited time for teaching and it therefore makes it difficult to
do fieldwork.
Besides financial constraints, Robert mentioned that there are time constraints as noted by Hilton above.
Robert remarked:
Fieldwork must not impact on the rest of the contact hours of the learners and so it is
difficult to get permission from the other teachers.
Oliver has used the school premises for fieldwork. He observed:
I have not done much fieldwork but there are times when we go out and do fieldwork on
the local ecosystem on the school premises.
Godwin’s perspective on fieldwork is that it involves long distance excursions. Lloyd views fieldwork
in a similar manner. According to Lloyd, fieldwork is limited by financial constraints (see Section
5.4.4). Vena asked the question: “What is fieldwork?” She seemed to be unclear of what fieldwork is.
Thomas cannot do fieldwork because he is physically disabled.
5.4.3 School organization
The rigid school organization programme is one of the main challenges that hinder the effective
implementation of EE and ESD in the school curriculum (see Section 3.3.5). Maggie pointed out that
she does not have enough time to take action on environmental issues or to use fieldwork as one of the
pedagogical approaches in her lessons. Referring to the action carried out in cleaning the river described
above (see Section 5.3.4), Maggie stated:
I had to ask for permission from the principal to go in the morning [during teaching time].
I also had to ask for permission from different teachers and that is very time consuming.
Fieldwork tends to disrupt the school programme. Furthermore, preparation is also time-consuming. As
a result, many teachers are not likely to use it often as a pedagogical approach.
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Concerning the current lack of involvement of learners in action on issues in the local environment,
Maggie commented:
I know that they are doing something in Life Orientation but in geography I did not do
something like that [recently]. My time for the Grade 12s is basically to get through the
curriculum, so it is seldom that I go from that path. I basically do what I have to do, set out
the requirements, do the lessons and prepare them [for the exams]. For my Grade 10s, 11s
and 12s, I need to have certain [amount of] work done at the end of the year. I basically
focus on the curriculum so that by the time they start examinations, they will have finished
most of what I wanted them to cover and what is prescribed for them in the requirements
for the examinations.
Maggie mainly concentrates on teaching for syllabus completion so as to prepare the learners for
examinations. As a result there is a shortage of time for taking action on environmental issues. Hilton
explains why it is difficult to take action on local environmental issues:
There are many things that we can do. We could maybe have cleaned the river near the
school here but unfortunately time constraints do not allow us to do that. One could have
done something in the form of a project such as recycling. Such activities could make
learners aware of the fact that they need to change their behaviour and attitude towards
the environment.
Hilton commented further:
I do not think our school or the geography classes have been in any sense involved in any
local issues. There are time constraints. In the afternoons we have sports training. We are
very busy at this school. During class time it would be very difficult to get about 25
learners involved in a local activity. You cannot take the learners away from school …
what happens to their other classes that they have to attend? After school in most cases it is
very difficult because they are involved in a lot of sport. During the weekends it is also
difficult because that is when we play our matches in different sporting codes.
From the above comment Hilton is aware that action on environmental issues needs to be incorporated
into the teaching and learning of secondary school geography but shortage of class time is one of the
major constraints. Furthermore, sport takes a lot of the school time especially in the afternoon and
during weekends. As a result, there is a shortage of time for other activities.
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Robert appeared to be grappling with what the aims of geography curriculum should be. According to
him, it mainly teaches knowledge which has to be evaluated using the examination system. Robert
seems to have difficulty in deciding to what extent EE and ESD should be incorporated into the
geography lessons.
Robert claimed that:
… knowledge in the South African system is something that is highly rated and at the end
of the year they [the learners] must write exams. We therefore focus more on preparing
them for exams. If we concentrated more on environmental issues, the learners would be
conscientised about environmental studies at the end of the year but their knowledge base
would not be good enough. They would then struggle to cope [with the examination].
Referring to research projects on environmental issues, Robert added:
You touch on these kinds of issues but to really discuss them in depth it is difficult because
you have to come back to knowledge and information that you have to put through to the
Grade 12s [to prepare them for examinations].
In the above statement, Robert seems to prioritise the teaching of knowledge so as to prepare the
learners to write matriculation examinations. Furthermore, the need to finish the syllabus is likely to
limit the pedagogical approaches to didactic approaches. Thomas argued:
There is another problem I am seeing [with some of the learner-centred approaches]. We

have to finish the syllabuses [on time] and so using methods such debates is time-
consuming.
Thomas and Hilton, referring specifically to the Grade 11 syllabus, pointed out that it is too long and
thus it is difficult to finish on time for the learners to write examinations.
5.4.4 Inadequate resources
Inadequate resources can limit the pedagogical approaches at the teacher’s disposal, for example
fieldwork. Inadequate resources include school infrastructure and shortage of teaching and learning
materials. School 2 is well resourced when compared to the other four schools. The two township
schools, Schools 4 and 5, are the least resourced schools. The shortage of resources is exacerbated by
the fact that Schools 4 and 5 are no-fee paying schools (see Section 5.1.1).
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Robert remarked that the shortage of finance has reduced the amount of fieldwork that can be
conducted. He observed:
Two years ago we took the Grade 10s to Mowbray where they construct topographic maps.
We then went from there to the inner city of Cape Town to study land and air pollution.
Financial constraints prevent us from conducting more field trips.
Oliver, who teaches in the same school as Robert, also confirmed the problem of financial constraints
facing the school. He commented:
Our school has a restriction in that when we plan for a field trip, the first question that the
parents ask is: Do you have the money? [Lack of] finance is one of the problems that
restricts the use of fieldwork.
Similarly, Lloyd who teaches in a poorly resourced school (School 5) explained that the shortage of
finance is one of the problems that hinders the use of fieldwork.
Lloyd argued that:
Fieldwork is encouraged but unfortunately, it goes with costs and the parents are not
always willing to contribute to the costs. I would like to take my learners, for example, to
the ocean so that they can experience the beach and waves. I would like them to visit other
places such as the weather station. It costs money and it is difficult to raise funds for
excursions. To solve this problem, I bring the real world into the classroom by using audio-
visual aids such as DVDs.
A conversation with some of the school principals confirmed that there is indeed a shortage of finance
in most of the selected schools (see Section 5.1.1). According to the principal of School 1, poverty
caused by joblessness in some communities is a major concern because it results in a number of parents
failing to pay fees. This scenario contributes to a severe shortage of finance for providing logistical
support for fieldwork excursions. Similarly, in School 3 the principal explained that the shortage of
finance is caused by non-payment of fees by some of the parents. The principal attributes this to high
levels of unemployment resulting from the closure and relocation of some factories that used to employ
some of the township residents. The principal also noted that a significant number of township residents
hold low-paying menial jobs. The principal of School 4 complained about the lack of support from the
parents in the school’s fund-raising efforts. Schools 4 and 5 are located in Black townships which
experience endemic poverty. This explains why these two schools are categorised as no-fee paying
schools.
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5.4.5 Lack of awareness of EE and ESD strategies
5.4.5.1 Development of critical thinking skills
According to Tilbury (1997), geography education should promote critical thinking skills which would
enable the learners to uncover the root causes of environmental problems. The learners will also be able
to explore and understand the value systems of the decision-makers. Additionally, the learners are
provided with opportunities to reflect on how their own values contribute to the environmental
problems (see Section 3.3.6). Some of the participant teachers were struggling to make sense of what
critical thinking is and how it can be promoted through the geography lessons.
Maggie’s experience is that only a few learners can think critically. She commented:
This applies to my classes and I also find that it is a problem in the whole school. Our
learners cannot think critically… Certainly OBE promotes critical thinking because if you
teach, you have to tell them there are always different ways to look at a diagram, but our
children struggle with it [critical thinking].
Maggie does not show how she can help the learners to develop critical thinking through the geography
lessons. It appears that assessment is at the forefront of her teaching because she refers to the ability of
learners to analyse diagrams. Teaching programmes that mainly aim at enhancing performance in
assessment, as illustrated by Maggie’s comment, would surely not promote critical thinking in the
learners because the teaching and learning programmes are likely to promote rote learning.
Maggie also observed:
Most of our learners cannot read. They continue to be promoted from one class to a higher
one despite the fact that they cannot read. OBE demands of them to be able to read and
interpret information but our learners do not have that skill. One thing lacking in our
learners is that they do not have the skills [literacy and numeracy] but OBE demands that
they should have the skills in order to make decisions and to be creative. Critical thinking
is what OBE demands but the learners lack the critical thinking skills.
The problem of lack of these fundamental skills required for learning was confirmed by the principal of
School 1, Maggie’s school. The principal was concerned with the drop in reading, writing and
numeracy skills of learners enrolling in Grade 8 from primary schools in recent years. As a result, many
learners were failing to cope with learning at secondary school level. Critical thinking skills cannot be
developed where the learners lack fundamental learning skills of reading, writing and numeracy.
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Ian pointed out that critical thinking is a higher level skill that is likely to be achieved mostly by the
intellectually gifted learners.
Ian commented:
I try to bring into all the lessons the key question and then assist them on how they must
think about the key question. I also try to encourage all the learners to contribute their
input without telling them whether they are right or wrong. We then try to answer the
question with the input of the responses from a lot of learners.
Similarly, Johan commented that only a small number of learners in his school can think critically and
that it is difficult to evaluate the achievement of critical thinking skills in the learners. Johan was not
explicit on how he can promote critical thinking through the geography lessons.
In contrast to the views of other teacher participants such as Maggie and Johan, Hilton thinks that he
has been successful in developing critical thinking in his learners.
Hilton commented:
The way the learners respond to things that I say is actually an indication that they are
analysing and that they are thinking critically about some of the information. I think to a
large extent I have succeeded in the geography class to inculcate critical thinking where
the learners analyse, interpret and think objectively about things. I think I see it every day
in the class – the way the learners, when they respond to certain things, they challenge me
on some of the things that I will have said.
Hilton could not explain how the geography learning programmes promote critical thinking. He noted:
I am not the only one who has contributed to critical thinking. The development of critical
thinking skills can also be attributed to their home background where they have a lot of
exposure to the internet. I think they are also advantaged in some instances.
Hilton noted that not all learners in his geography classes can think critically. It is the more
intellectually gifted learners whose critical thinking skills are highly developed.
Robert pointed out that he has occasionally exposed the learners, especially the Grade 12s, to
controversial issues but he has not been successful in helping them to develop critical thinking skills.
He explained that he does not know how far to go with exploring controversial issues because he has to
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be mindful of the fact he has to teach knowledge in order to prepare the learners for the examinations
(see also Section 5.4.3).
According to Oliver, very few learners whom he teaches can think critically. Most of them are content
to accept anything they are told by the teacher. Oliver was not explicit on how he tries to promote
critical thinking in the geography lessons.
Oliver commented:
I do not think we are far on that [development of critical thinking]. If I tell the learners that
the sun is coming up in the east, they believe me regardless of what the reality is. They do
not question whether what I am saying is acceptable or not. I think there is something
wrong with a lot of the learners. Only a few of them will pose the following questions: Why
is it like that? Who told you that? Who made the decision so that it is like that? Most of
them tend to accept uncritically what they are told.
Godwin claims that he has been successful with the Grade 12s in developing critical thinking. He
observed:
I always ask them to justify the answers they give. I ask them to give reasons for the
statements that they make.
Vena was not explicit on how she promotes critical thinking in her lessons.
Lloyd claimed that he promotes critical thinking but he did not explain how he does that in the
geography lessons. Lloyd commented:
We are promoting independent thinking. The challenge is that 80% of our learners are not
at the stage where they can seriously debate and independently criticise certain issues.
The learners in Lloyd’s school are likely to be restricted by the language from participating in class.
Because English is a second language for most of the learners, many of them are likely to have
communication problems as well as difficulties in comprehending learning materials (see Section
5.4.2). They are not likely to criticise what they have not understood in the first place.
Like Ian, whose comments have been noted above, Thomas explained that he tries to develop critical
thinking by applying some of the geography key questions in some of the lessons. According to IGU-
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CGE (1992), for any aspect of the human-environment interactions that are dealt with, the key
geography questions should include:
 Where is it?
 What is it like?
 Why is it there?
 How did it happen?
 What impacts does it have?
 How should it be managed for the mutual benefit of humanity and the natural environment?
Thomas did not explain how the geography questions noted above can help to develop critical thinking.
In Section 5.3.1, I mentioned that the geography NCS (Department of Education 2003b), frequently
refers to issues or issues and challenges. This provides opportunities for using the issues-based
approach to enable environmental concerns incorporated in the geography curriculum to be integrated
in the lessons more effectively.
5.4.5.2 Perspectives on the issues-based approach
The teacher participants had varied responses on how they make sense of and use the issues-based
approach.
Maggie responded that she uses the issues-based approach when she gives the learners assignments, for
example on global warming, as already noted above in Section 5.3.3. Ian does not use the issues-based
approach in organising the content. He touches on environmental issues when he covers certain topics.
An example, according to Ian, is the issue of the outbreak of xenophobia and the environmental
problems that were created in the process of dealing with the displaced victims of xenophobia. This was
covered when Ian taught “Population movements” in the Grade 10 syllabus.
Concerning the issues-based approach, Hilton commented:
You can’t always use the [issues-based] approach. There are various other techniques and
approaches one can use, to allow learners to discover the knowledge because the ultimate
goal is you want to make a learner-centred classroom where the emphasis and the focus is
on the learner. If one used the issues-based approach - that is only one method. There are
other methods where you can, for example, use various types of data as visual stimuli. So
you don’t always use the issues-based approach.
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Hilton elaborated:
I sometimes use the issues-based approach where we give learners a case-study. In the
case study there will be a problem. We then have discussions on how to address the
problem that was brought to their attention through the case study. We did a case study on
the problem of the shrinking Nile Delta. We also looked at the problem of uneven economic
development in South Africa when we covered development and sustainability in the Grade
11 syllabus.
Hilton views the issues-based approach as a pedagogical approach, while it actually is a way of
organising content. According to Robert, the issues are linked at the end of the different topics (see
Section 5.3.2). In other words, he does not use the issues-based approach.
Robert remarked:
If there is a problem or issue, I first give them the knowledge and the information and then
from the information we link it to the issue.
Oliver struggles to make sense of issues and the issues-based approach. He commented:
I think most of the time it [the content] is issues-based but then as I told you, we switch to
teacher-centred. We ask the learners questions. Do they understand? What can they think?
How do they think they can help or repair things in the environment such as pollution?
Oliver later contradicts himself:
On the other hand we don’t do a lot on the issues such as pollution, sustainable
development, climatology [and so on]. I do not think that we are doing our best to influence
the behaviour of the learners towards caring for the environment. I think that we can still
do a lot more. It seems to me like we are only busy with the tip of the iceberg and we are
not really going into it and to the bigger part of issues or something like the environment.
Issues-based to me means there are a lot of issues in the country and in our region. In the
example of population studies, if this is an issue then we connect what we are doing in class
to it.
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Godwin tackles issues in the same way as Ian does. Environmental issues such as pollution are
incorporated in some of the topics such as service provision. Vena also includes issues while she is
teaching particular topics such as gender issues under population studies.
Lloyd commented:
It [the issues-based approach] is more evident mostly in the lower grades, for example
Grade 8. Their approach is more issues-based because we are working with issues of
inequality such as gender inequality and race inequality. In the upper grades we deal with
the issue of global warming, droughts, floods. A big part of the curriculum is issues-based.
The participant teachers’ responses reveal that some of them struggle to make sense of what issues
should be incorporated into the lessons in order to effectively implement EE and ESD. None of the
teachers use the issues-based approach in organising the content for the effective teaching of EE and
ESD.
5.4.6 The role of curriculum advisers
The responses of the teacher participants concerning support from the curriculum advisers are mixed.
Some participants were generally pleased with the assistance which they received over the years since
the new curriculum was first implemented in 2003, whereas others felt that the assistance was
inadequate. Regarding the implementation of EE and ESD in the new geography curriculum, some of
the participants pointed out that more assistance is required from the curriculum advisers.
Maggie, the HOD of School 1, is generally happy with the assistance from the curriculum advisers over
the years. She attended many workshops on how to implement the new curriculum. Additionally, she
communicates regularly with them to iron out any queries concerning the geography curriculum.
Maggie commented:
In 2003 … the subject advisers came in [to her school] and spoke to us. We had a lot of
workshops around the curriculum in geography … Even now the geography subject
advisers give us enough time. They come [to school]; they phone; they email. They also set
up assignments and worksheets for us [for assessment of learners].
However, Maggie feels that the curriculum advisers have not provided the support required specifically
in the implementation of EE and ESD in the geography curriculum.
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Similarly Johan, the HOD of School 2, is happy with the support from the curriculum advisers:
We had enough support from the Department. A couple of circuit managers and subject
managers have come around. We had workshops and seminars at different schools on how
to implement the new syllabuses within the framework of OBE. We don’t have problems
with them [curriculum advisers]. They are just a phone call or email away. They are very
supportive.
Johan later contradicted himself and gave the impression that he does not need the support from the
curriculum advisers. He remarked:
Nothing is new here [referring to the new curriculum]. We did this in our degrees
[training]. They took the old syllabus and then moved some topics around. Urban
geography will always be urban geography; climatology will always be climatology;
pollution will always be pollution.
Johan is likely to stick to traditional didactic approaches to teaching that transmit factual information in
order to prepare learners for examinations because he claims that there are no major changes in the
curriculum. EE and ESD cannot be effectively taught using teacher-centred approaches (see Section
3.3.2).
Hilton, who teaches in the same school as Johan, is also satisfied with the support that he gets from the
curriculum advisers. He commented:
I attended a lot of workshops. There was a lot of support from the Department to help us in
the implementation of the new curriculum.
On the question of what he felt about the support over the years, Hilton observed:
I look at it from the point of view of whether I need any more support. If there is something
that I don’t understand or something that I want to implement in a better way, I can always
phone the curriculum adviser. If I leave a message on his phone, he always comes back to
me.
He mentioned, however, that there is need for more assistance in implementing EE and ESD in the
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Similarly, Robert pointed out that the support provided to him when the new curriculum was first
launched was adequate. He attended workshops where the geography teachers interacted with
curriculum advisers who helped them to implement the new curriculum. Referring to the current
situation, Robert remarked:
Curriculum advisers interact with us on a quarterly basis … to set standards … to ensure

that top-down directives are followed with Grade 12s [assessment].
Robert, the HOD of School 3, added that more assistance from the curriculum advisers in implementing
EE and ESD would be appreciated by the geography teachers. Oliver, who teaches in the same school
as Robert, pointed out that the support from the curriculum advisers was initially inadequate but
gradually improved over the years. Concerning the teaching of EE and ESD in the geography
curriculum, Oliver commented:
I think with regards to teaching of environment in geography, there could be better support
from the Department.
Godwin, the subject head of School 4, is also satisfied with the support provided by the curriculum
advisers. He pointed out that he attended staff development workshops when the new geography
curriculum was first launched and the support has been sustained over the years.
Godwin remarked:
The curriculum advisers are very helpful to us. We hold regular departmental meetings
with the curriculum advisers [at School 4] in order to address problems.
Vena, who teaches at the same school as Godwin, agreed with him that the support provided by
curriculum advisers in the school was adequate. She stated that:
Curriculum advisers visit the school every quarter. They talk to us and visit our classes to
observe some lessons. After that they call for departmental meetings where they give
suggestions on how the teaching can be improved. They also set tasks, tests, and projects
that we can use for assessment of the learners.
Lloyd and Thomas from School 5 have a different take on the support provided by the curriculum
advisers. According to them not much support was provided by the curriculum advisers at the launch of
the new curriculum and the support is still inadequate. Lloyd and Thomas also mentioned lack of
support targeted at the implementation of EE and ESD in the geography curriculum. Lloyd commented:
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There was not much support given. We had to attend a workshop for two or three days …
You must remember that many of the teachers came out of the old teaching methods when
they were at the universities and colleges. They were never trained in the new methods of
OBE … the teachers were expected to reskill themselves within a few days.
Concerning the current situation, Lloyd observed:
We see the curriculum adviser two times a year, mainly on Grade 12 issues. The focus is on
Grade 12 assessment and [on monitoring] progress in covering the curriculum.
Lloyd’s comment supports the discussion in Section 5.4.3, concerning the fact that teaching and
learning programmes focus on preparing learners for examinations.
Thomas is very critical of the curriculum advisers. He remarked:
We went for a one week workshop [when the curriculum was first launched]. The workshop
involved implementing the geography NCS within a new OBE policy framework.
Regarding the current situation, Thomas is of the view that:
The support is poor or non-existent. They [the curriculum advisers] visit schools for
moderation of continuous assessment and to collect marks, but if we want them to come
and support us with materials, they do not come. They say that they are busy.
On the whole, the participant teachers’ responses reveal that the curriculum advisers have generally
been supportive, except in the case of School 5. However, EE and ESD implementation in the
geography curriculum could be more effective if the geography teachers received more assistance from
the curriculum advisers.
Furthermore, curriculum advisers influence the manner in which the teachers use the geography NCS
(the curriculum document). Some teacher participants claimed that they use work schedules and pace
setters and do not refer to the curriculum document. The use of work schedules and pace setters
indicates that the teachers have been deskilled.
Maggie commented:
We get pace setters at the beginning of the year. The work in the pace setters has been set
up for a week. We use work schedules together with pace setters.
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Maggie spoke on behalf of Ian and other geography teachers in her school (School 1). Similarly, Johan
uses work schedules and pace setters and hardly refers to the original NCS document. He remarked:
We put all these things on PowerPoint [lesson plans]. I don’t go back to the original
document [geography NCS]. My documents for micro-planning, meso-planning and
macro-planning are in the computer. All my planning for the whole year is in the computer.
I use work schedules and pace setters from the Department.
Oliver also uses work schedules and pace setters. He hardly refers to the original NCS document.
Similarly, Lloyd and Thomas use work schedules and pace setters (see Section 5.3.1). However, Hilton,
Robert, Godwin and Vena stated that although they use work schedules and pace setters, they still refer
to the original NCS document frequently.
Concerning how he uses the NCS document, Hilton observed:
I have to consult it on a daily basis … The original document provides more information on
the learning outcomes and assessment criteria. One has to go back sometimes and double-
check the information [in the original document]. I have also noticed that the content
outline or the knowledge framework in the original NCS document differs from the one in
the work schedules slightly … I sit with the original NCS document and the work schedule
to do macro-planning. I need to consult both documents as well when I do micro-planning
or day to day planning.
Robert uses the original NCS document regularly to plan teaching and learning programmes for Grade
12. He commented:
One has to refer to it from time to time with Grade 12 planning because the final exam will
be based on the NCS. In Grade 10 and 11 one tends to base the teaching more on the
textbook … for Grade 10 and 11 you use the work schedules, pace setters and most of the
time the textbook to cover what is prescribed. For Grade 12 you make sure that you have
prepared them according to the requirements of the NCS.
Vena explained that she uses the original NCS document when she plans for the term. The teachers who
do not refer to the original NCS document are likely to lose sight of the aims of geography education:
that teaching and learning programmes should focus not only on the acquisition of knowledge but also
on the development of skills, attitudes and values required for more sustainable lifestyles. The original
document is far more informative on strategies for implementing the curriculum than the work
schedules and pace setters (see Section 5.3.1). Furthermore, the curriculum document is explicit on the
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fact that an integrated approach (emphasizing human-environment interactions) should be used in

organising the teaching and learning programmes.
5.5 SUMMARY
The school data reveals that only School 2 is well-resourced when compared to the other four schools.
Schools 4 and 5 are the least resourced. This is exacerbated by the fact that they are no-fee paying
schools. The shortage of resources is manifested by overcrowding in some of the geography classes,
especially in Schools 4 and 5. The school context also reveals serious social and socio-economic
problems in most of the sample schools. All the participants are qualified geography teachers with a
long service in the profession.
The data also reveals that most of the teacher participants acknowledge the incorporation of
environmental concerns in the geography curriculum. However, they grapple with a number of issues in
implementing EE and ESD in the curriculum. First, some of them cannot identify EE and ESD content
in the curriculum. Second, they have difficulties in deciding how far to go in teaching EE and ESD in
the geography lessons. Third, some of them claim to use learner-centred approaches, some of them
claim to combine the pedagogical approaches and yets others state that they predominantly use teacher-
centred approaches. Fourth, other barriers include issues such as shortage of time related to school
organization and shortage of resources. Fifth, some of the teacher participants are not familiar with
strategies for implementing EE and ESD, such as enquiry learning, the issues-based approach and the
need to inculcate critical thinking skills in the teaching and learning of geography. Sixth, their
perspectives on the subject matter show inadequate understanding of the meaning of environmental
education, sustainable development, education for sustainable development, the aims of geography
education and the links between geography and environmental education. Some of these challenges
could be addressed if more support was provided to the geography teachers through staff development
by the curriculum advisers. As a result of these barriers, the geography teachers are likely to focus on
teaching knowledge at the expense of developing skills, attitudes and values.
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CHAPTER 6: TEACHERS GRAPPLING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL

CONCERNS IN THE GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM: A DISCUSSION
In Chapter 5, I provided the research context of the selected schools and the profiles of the teacher
participants. Additionally, I described the findings of the study in the form of the main themes,
classified into opportunities and challenges. The themes offer answers to questions related to:
opportunities for teaching EE and ESD in the geography NCS; the geography teachers’ perspectives on
EE and ESD; whether the teachers incorporate the teaching of EE and ESD in the geography lessons;
pedagogical approaches used by the geography teachers; and, the barriers to teaching environmental
concerns infused in the geography curriculum. In this chapter, I use Spillane, Reiser & Reimer’s (2002)
cognitive model of the policy implementation process as a framework for discussing the findings. I also
highlight other barriers that hinder the teacher participants from implementing EE and ESD, in the
discussion on pedagogical approaches and strategies employed by the teacher participants in their
teaching.
6.1 THE MODEL OF POLICY IMPLEMENTATION
The cognitive model of policy implementation involves the agents’ sense-making regarding new policy.
In order to complement other policy implementation models, Spillane, Reiser & Reimer (2002) propose
the cognitive framework to explain how implementing agents make sense of new policy. They argue
that policy failure can be explained by the agents’ lack of understanding of the policy messages rather
than the perceived lack of cooperation, acts of sabotage or resistance to change. According to Spillane,
Reiser & Reimer (2002), implementing agents interpret a new policy through three interacting factors
that influence their cognition or understanding of policy: individual cognitive structures (knowledge,
beliefs and attitudes); the agents’ situated cognition or context; and, the policy signals or the way the
policy is represented. To elaborate on these factors, first, the meaning of a new policy to the
implementing agents depends on individual cognition or what they already know at individual level and
on their experiences. The way agents interpret information communicated by policy documents is often
informed by what they already understood previously. As a result, the agents’ existing understandings
may interfere with their ability to interpret, understand and implement policy as originally intended
(Spillane, Reiser & Reimer 2002). Second, situation or context refers to the influence of other people on
the agent’s sense-making. There are other actors and stakeholders who are also affected by the policy or
have to implement it. At school level the agents may interact with other members of the department, the
school managers and other teachers in the process of making sense of a new policy. At a meso- or
macro-level this may involve school ‘inspectors’ and other government officials, curriculum advisers
and professional associations. Third, the agents’ sense-making can be influenced by the way the policy
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is designed or represented. If the policy is ambiguous, then there is likely to be a wide gap between the
policy rhetoric and practice due to the fact that the policy provides much room for varied interpretation
and understanding by the agents (Spillane, Reiser & Reimer 2002). I discuss the teacher’s sense-making
in the following section.
Although Spillane, Reiser & Reimer’s (2002) model appears to provide a useful framework for
explaining the policy implementation process in the education sector, Blignaut (2008) cautions
researchers that the model has limitations in postcolonial states such as South Africa where the context
of education greatly differs from that of Western societies. The former is characterised by high levels of
inequality in infrastructure provision (see also section 5.1.1) as a result of the apartheid legacy.
Additionally, the meaning of context in the model is narrow as it only refers to “nature and quality of
relations” (Blignaut 2008: 102) and not the broader meaning of context as referring to all the local
factors that influence the teacher’s sense-making and enactment of policy.
6.2 TEACHERS’ SENSE-MAKING OF THE CURRICULUM
The analysis of the geography NCS document showed that environmental concerns are incorporated in
the preamble of the curriculum document (the purpose and scope of geography at FET level), in the
learning outcomes, assessment standards as well as in the content of the Grades 10, 11 and 12
syllabuses (see section 5.3.1). The curriculum policy document also suggests strategies for
implementing EE and ESD such as the issues-based approach, the inculcation of critical thinking skills
and the enquiry-based teaching and learning pedagogical approach. The sustainable development
concept is a central theme in the curriculum. The geography NCS provides an enabling policy
framework, with a lot of opportunities for implementing EE and ESD through the curriculum. In other
contexts, the concept of sustainable development has not been explicitly emphasized in the curriculum
materials in Lesotho, despite the integration of environmental concerns in the geography curriculum
materials (Raselimo 2012). Similarly, Jóhannesson et al (2011) revealed that the concept of sustainable
development rarely appeared in the curriculum documents from primary school right up to secondary
school level in Iceland.
The majority of the teacher participants acknowledged the incorporation of environmental concerns in
the geography curriculum. From the perspective of Spillane, Reiser & Reimer’s (2002) model of policy
implementation, these participants appear to have got the surface-level policy message as intended by
the curriculum designers on the integration of environmental concerns in the curriculum document.
However, the teacher participants still have to engage with deeper-level sense-making regarding the
nature of geography promoted in the policy document, the nature of EE and ESD and the transformation
of pedagogical approaches as communicated by the policy messages. The policy document has an
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enabling framework which provides a lot of opportunities for incorporating EE and ESD into the
lessons despite the fact that a minority of teachers in the sample (Robert, Lloyd and Thomas) feel that
there are limited opportunities. One participant, (Thomas), categorically states that there are no
opportunities for teaching EE and ESD in the Grade 10 syllabus. These three teacher participants seem
to be experiencing conceptual difficulties regarding the meaning of EE and ESD as discussed in the
following paragraphs. Lloyd and Thomas admitted that they hardly refer to the geography NCS
document, but that they mainly use work schedules and pace setters for planning their lessons.
The preamble section of the geography NCS document, consisting of the purpose and scope of
geography including the definition of the subject, is not included in the work schedules and pace setters.
As a result, Lloyd and Thomas are likely to have missed the policy message concerning one of the most
important aims of school geography at FET level; that it strives to promote more sustainable lifestyles
through the teaching and learning of skills, attitudes and values in addition to knowledge and
understanding. The admission by Lloyd, Thomas and other teacher participants that they mainly use
work schedules, pace setters and other guideline documents developed by curriculum advisers shows
the influence of situated cognition or context on the agents’ understanding of policy as observed by
Spillane, Reiser & Reimer (2002). The exclusive use of these supplementary documents in place of the
geography NCS prevents the teachers from productively engaging with the curriculum document in
order to make sense of the policy messages. In the following paragraphs, I deal with how the teacher
participants make sense of EE and ESD.
The cognitive framework can be used to explain how the teacher participants make sense of EE and
ESD through individual cognition (Spillane, Reiser & Reimer 2002). The geography teacher
participants interpret EE and ESD individually from the perspective of what they already know as noted
above. This study revealed that the teacher participants individually experience conceptual barriers
regarding the nature of EE and ESD. Their responses indicate that environmental education is
concerned with creating awareness concerning environmental problems. The teacher participants seem
to focus on “fostering awareness by communicating information about environmental issues”
(O’Donoghue 1993: 29) so as to change the behaviour of the learners towards the environment.
Maggie’s view is that she has to “teach” or “tell the learners about the environment” because she
disapproves of their uncaring behaviour towards the physical environment (the school premises). Her
conception of environmental education is that it mainly focuses on modifying behaviour towards the
biophysical environment through imparting environmental knowledge. Maggie also reveals the
pedagogical approach which she is likely to use. Teaching or telling about the environment implies that
she is likely to use teacher-centred approaches to transmit environmental knowledge in the form of
“hard facts” (O’Donoghue 1993: 29). According to Ian, environmental education is concerned with
“education about environmental problems.” He has a similar perspective to that of Maggie in that he
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believes that the transmission of environmental knowledge will translate into positive behaviour
towards the environment. Furthermore, Ian’s perspective is that of conservation education which
focuses on the protection of the biophysical environment. This is illustrated by the fact that he expresses
concern at the rapid loss of biodiversity as a result of the destruction of the biophysical environment.
Like Maggie and Ian, Godwin explicitly states that environmental education is conservation education.
Hilton’s perspective is that of conservation education because he is concerned with “teaching and
learning about biodiversity” and how it should be managed. He displays an anthropocentric,
technocratic and instrumentalist view of the environment (O'Riordan 1999) because he values the
biophysical environment in terms of benefits that humans can derive from it with regards to the
resources that can be extracted to promote economic growth. According to Hilton, environmental
problems can be managed technically. Oliver continues with the discourse of telling or transmission of
environmental knowledge. He hints at the idea of using experiential learning to teach about the
environment. Robert seems to struggle with making sense of the meaning of environmental education
and so does Vena. Robert follows the trend discussed above that environmental education is concerned
with education about the environment. Most of the teacher participants view environmental education
as relating to the transmission of environmental knowledge at the expense of skills, attitudes and values.
Other studies conducted in southern Africa by Kethloilwe (2007) in Botswana and Raselimo (2012) in
Lesotho showed that teachers generally view EE as being concerned with environmental
management or conservation education as revealed in this study. Additionally, in East Africa, Kimaryo
(2011) established that primary school teachers in Tanzania predominantly viewed environmental
education and education for sustainable development as providing them with knowledge and skills or as
education about the environment, much like participants in this research.
These findings resonate with those of Ham & Sewing (1988) who established through interviews of
elementary school teachers in Idaho State in the US that the effective teaching of environmental
education was being hindered by conceptual barriers among other constraints. In Ham & Sewing’s
(1988) study, the teachers’ definitions of environmental education mainly focused on the cognitive
aspects of EE (environmental knowledge) and tended to leave out the affective aspects (attitudes and
values). According to Ham & Sewing (1988: 19) the teacher participants “tended to stress teaching
knowledge or awareness of the contents of the environment, learning to use resources wisely or learning
about interactions or interdependencies.”
In this study, Ian and Lloyd hint at teaching about interdependencies in the natural environment. Ian
mentions the link between vegetation destruction and the loss of animals and Lloyd refers to the
importance of the ecosystem. Unlike the other teacher participants, Thomas hints at the fact that the
environment consists of more components than just the biophysical environment but he does not
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elaborate. Lloyd and Hilton’s perspectives of environmental education differ, to a certain extent, from
the perspectives revealed by the other teacher participants in that they incorporate the development of
the affective domain (attitudes and values) whereas the other participants mainly focus on the cognitive
aspects (environmental knowledge) (see Ham & Sewing 1988). Lloyd suggests that the geography
curriculum should promote attitudes and values of appreciating the natural environment. Unlike Hilton,
who displays an anthropocentric view of the environment noted earlier, Lloyd seems to be in favour of
non-consumptive uses of the natural environment. According to Lloyd environmental education should
promote stewardship of the natural environment among the learners as illustrated by the suggestion that
the learners should “look after it [the biophysical environment] because it is part of the ecosystem.”
Lloyd, unlike Hilton, hints that environmental education should promote an ecocentric as opposed to an
anthropocentric view of nature (O'Riordan 1999) in the following statement: “As part of the aims of the
geography syllabus [curriculum]47 the learners should be able to handle the environment with respect.”
Despite the anthropocentric view of the environment mentioned earlier, Hilton argues that the
geography curriculum, by integrating environmental concerns, aims to develop the affective domain in
addition to the cognitive domain. Hilton observed:
We are looking at the need to protect and conserve the environment … One central golden
thread that goes straight through [the geography curriculum] is the issue about
environmental education and changing peoples’ attitudes, views and values about the
environment.
The teacher participants generally view environment as only consisting of the biophysical component
that excludes the human dimension (social, political and economic components). As a result, the general
perception of environmental education revealed by the teacher participants is still that of conservation
education where they promote the teaching of knowledge and protection of the biophysical environment
and tend to exclude the human dimension. However, two of the participants feel that EE should instil
attitudes and values of caring for the biophysical environment.
The definition of the term environment in the geography NCS (Department of Education 2003b: 69) is
that it refers to:
Surroundings; the totality of things that in anyway may affect an organism, including
physical and cultural conditions; a region characterised by a certain set of physical
conditions; the physical, built and social environment ….
47
Inserted by author
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This definition mentions the importance of both the (bio)physical and human dimensions in the concept
of environment. However, the notion of interaction between the various components of the environment
is excluded from the above definition making it inadequate. According to Corney (2000: 305) the
environmental subject matter deals with “inter-relationships between ecological, social, economic and
political factors” (see also section 3.1). The teacher participants seem to focus more on the biophysical
environment when trying to make sense of the meaning of environmental education showing that they
have probably not paid attention to the above definition provided by the curriculum document. Some of
the teacher participants, who mainly use work schedules and pace setters, hardly refer to the geography
NCS as observed earlier and thus miss some of the essential policy messages. In the case of the other
participants, the meaning of environment as referring only to the biophysical component is likely to be
now so entrenched in their minds that it is not easy for them to notice and accept other ideas on the
meaning of environment (Spillane, Reiser & Reimer 2000).
Furthermore, the teacher participants view environmental education as being closely linked to
sustainable development, expressing the view communicated by Ian that the “two are incorporated into
one another.” The teacher participants’ views on sustainable development are derived from the
perspective promoted by the Brundtland Report, Our Common Future (WCED 1987). In the geography
NCS document, the definition of sustainability extracted from the Brundtland Report is that it is “a way
of living that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs” (Department of Education 2003b: 70). The aim of sustainable development,
according to the Brundtland Report, is to achieve both intra-generational and inter-generational equity
through using resources sustainably. This refers to promoting equitable distribution of wealth within
nations and between nations and also ensuring that future generations will enjoy the same quality of life
as the current generation (Hattingh 2002; Martin 2011; Mpotokwane 2002; Purvis & Grainger 2004).
Some of the teacher participants, except Hilton, seem to focus mainly on the need to achieve inter-
generational equity rather than intra-generational equity. This view is likely to be derived from the
definition of sustainability noted above provided by the curriculum document. However, Vena struggles
to make sense of the meaning of not only environmental education as noted above, but also of
sustainable development. It is likely that Vena mainly uses work schedules and pace setters which are
not as informative on sustainable development and the goals of teaching geography as the original
geography NCS document.
None of the participants confronted the problematic nature of the idea of sustainable development (see
section 1.1.2). They appeared to accept the definition provided by the Brundtland Report uncritically.
This is illustrated by Lloyd’s comment that “sustainable development is the answer to environmental
issues.” This uncritical stance could be derived from the way the concept is represented in the policy
document. The geography NCS document does not advise the teachers about the problematic nature of
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the idea of sustainable development so as to promote deeper-level sense-making about the concept
(Spillane, Reiser & Reimer 2002). According to Taylor, Nathan & Coll (2003), 13 primary and
secondary school teachers in New Zealand who participated in an interview concerning their
perceptions on Education for Sustainability, were all familiar with the term sustainable development.
They generally held a similar view of sustainable development to that of the teacher participants in this
study. This is the view derived from WCED (1987) that sustainable development is concerned with
promoting inter-generational equity through the sustainable use of resources. However, 3 out of the 13
teachers from the New Zealand sample pointed to the fact that the concept of sustainable development
is problematic because it is difficult to reconcile political pressures with economic development and
environmental protection (Taylor, Nathan & Coll 2003).
Additionally, the teacher participants struggle to make sense of the notion of education for sustainable
development. It appears as if most of them have not come across the term as indicated by their
responses, for example Ian, Oliver, Vena, Lloyd and Thomas (see section 5.4.1.2). Maggie interprets
education for sustainable development as referring to conservation education which aims to achieve
sustainability of resources through promoting positive behaviour towards the environment. According
to Maggie, the term is synonymous with environmental education which she interprets as conservation
education as discussed above. Similarly, the views of Robert and Godwin are that education for
sustainable development refers to conservation education. However, Robert acknowledges the
behaviourism inherent in OBE (see Le Grange & Reddy 1997) by pointing out that ESD is implemented
through one of the learning outcomes (LO3) which deals with application of knowledge and skills. Ian
associates education for sustainable development with environmental education but has difficulties in
making sense of what it entails.
Hilton’s anthropocentric view is again illustrated in his thoughts on education for sustainable
development. According to him, education for sustainable development focuses on creating awareness
of the need to conserve resources to enable economic growth to take place without any interruption. The
aim of ESD is to modify behaviour towards the environment. Hilton again displays an unproblematic
view of sustainable development where it is possible to maintain the same rates of economic growth
despite the environmental impacts. However, he brings in a different perspective from that of the other
participants concerning the issue of poverty. Hilton argues that there is need to address the issue of
poverty in order to achieve intra-generational equity in addition to ensuring security of resources supply
for future generations. Winter (2007: 349) underscores the need for policy documents to highlight the
fact that teachers should critically reflect on current popular meanings of sustainable development and
education for sustainable development. She draws attention to the need for policy implementers to
engage with the “fundamental incompatibility between the concepts sustainability and development”
noted above.
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The terms environmental education and education for sustainable development are missing from the
geography NCS document leading to conceptual difficulties with their meaning among the teacher
participants. Chatzifotiou (2002) found that lack of clarity in the definition of terms such as
environment, sustainable development and education for sustainable development in the National
Curriculum documents of primary schools in England and Wales can cause confusion among teachers.
Chatzifotiou (2002) argues that the above problem is exacerbated by the fact that the general literature
lacks clarity on the terms sustainable development and education for sustainable development (see
section 1.1.2). The Oxfordshire County Council (2002) cited in Summers, Childs & Corney (2005)
found that lack of understanding of sustainable development among other constraints, hindered the
implementation of education for sustainable development in some of the local schools in England. It is
important for the teachers to engage with definitions of these terms to enable them to make sense of EE
and ESD. This process is likely to help them to work towards achieving the goals of teaching EE and
ESD through the implementation of appropriate teaching and learning programmes.
The teacher participants’ perspectives on EE still reflect what Van Rooyen (1998: 118) referred to as a
“distinct lack of understanding of the nature of EE and the implications for its incorporation in the
school curriculum.” Ian with 11 years teaching experience has a similar perspective on environmental
education to the rest of the teacher participants. Surprisingly, Vena with only 9 years teaching
experience was apparently ignorant of the term environmental education. This shows the continued
neglect of EE and ESD courses in pre-service teacher training programmes in some, if not all of the
South African higher education institutions. The conceptual barriers discussed earlier are revealed in
how some of the teacher participants try to incorporate EE and ESD in the lessons.
In trying to incorporate EE and ESD in the lessons the teacher participants have to grapple with the
meaning of EE and ESD and how to integrate environmental concerns in the lessons. There is a
tendency to incorporate more EE and ESD themes in the human geography lessons than in the physical
geography lessons as illustrated by Maggie and Lloyd’s practice (see section 5.3.2). It is likely that the
content in the curriculum document is stated in such a way that the link between human activities and
environmental problems is clear whereas the teacher participants might have difficulties in identifying
the link in some of the physical geography content in certain sections of the curriculum document. The
difficulty of integrating EE and ESD is likely to be caused by the participants’ conceptual difficulties on
the meaning of EE and ESD and lack of understanding of the nature of geography. Robert also struggles
with deciding how much EE and ESD to incorporate in the lessons without losing time required for
teaching “knowledge” in order to complete the syllabuses in time to write examinations (see section
5.4.3). Furthermore, EE and ESD seem to be marginalised in some instances, for example, in the case of
Lloyd and Robert who stated that they consider human impacts at the end of a series of lessons
especially when they are teaching physical geography topics. Thomas is not likely to consciously
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consider ways of effectively teaching EE and ESD if he cannot identify environmental concerns infused
in the Grade 10 syllabus.
The perspective of school geography promoted by the Geography Policy framework is that:
“Geography is a science that studies physical and human processes and spatial patterns on Earth in an
integrated way over space and time” (Department of Education 2003b: 9). This means that the teachers
should make an effort to integrate the physical and human processes as far as possible in designing
teaching and learning programmes, so that the learners can realize that environmental problems result
from human-environment interactions. Academics (Douglas 1986; Goudie 1986; Guelke 1989; Kates
1987; Stoddart 1987; Turner 2002) have argued for a united discipline (integrated physical and human
geography) to enable environmental problems to be addressed more effectively (see sections 2.3 and
2.4). The geography NCS document (Department of Education 2003b: 11) attempts to clarify the
integrated approach in order to enable the incorporation of EE and ESD using the example below:
… a study of physical processes that influence soil erosion, for example, must consider
how human activities on the land also contribute to the process. The geographer needs to
know why soil erosion is occurring and should understand the social, political and
economic circumstances that may cause people to influence the rate of soil erosion in a
place or in the broader region.
However, the rest of the policy is represented in such a way that physical geography and human
geography topics are separated, making it difficult for the teacher participants to envisage an integrated
approach. The insistence of the teacher participants in separating physical and human geography shows
that they have either ignored or not understood the above policy message (Spillane, Reiser & Reimer
2002), that geography needs to be treated in an integrated manner.
Some of the teacher participants’ views on the nature of geography can be explained using the
individual cognition aspect of the cognitive framework (Spillane, Reiser & Reimer 2002). One of the
participants, Johan stated that the design of the new geography curriculum involved the shifting around
of topics that were found in the old geography syllabuses (see section 5.4.6). According to him, the new
geography curriculum is the same as the old one except for the differences in the assessment methods.
Johan is therefore not likely to pay much attention to the implementation strategies suggested in the
curriculum document such as enquiry approach that incorporates fieldwork. He is likely to continue
with teacher-centred approaches which he used in the old curriculum. According to Spillane, Reiser &
Reimer (2002), there is a tendency for implementing agents to make “superficial connections rather
than deeper connection” when they are trying to make sense of new policy and this may lead to their
failure to interpret and understand the policy as originally intended.
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Hilton and Lloyd view school geography from the positivist perspective which was dominant when they
were still at secondary school and in their undergraduate training courses (Nel & Binns (1999). Most of
the teacher participants, including Hilton and Lloyd, have a long teaching service ranging from 15 to 35
years (see section 5.1.2). Hilton and Lloyd view school geography as involving quantitative techniques
where the learners are presented with a lot of data to work on. According to Nel & Binns (1999), the
teachers who were trained within the behaviourist are likely to continue working within these
epistemological viewpoints in the new curriculum. They are likely to have an objectivist view of
knowledge which has been heavily criticised for promoting technical solutions to environmental
problems and helping to maintain the status quo with regards to unsustainable lifestyles (Stevenson
2007) (see section 2.2.4 and 3.1.1.2). This perspective is likely to hinder some of the teacher
participants from learning about and using other pedagogical approaches that are more appropriate for
teaching EE and ESD such as those based on the socially critical perspective (Fien 1993; Huckle 1997).
Furthermore, the teacher participants’ epistemologies noted above are likely to hinder them from
identifying strategies suggested in the curriculum document, for incorporating environmental concerns
in the lessons.
Situation or context also affects the teacher participants’ sense-making (Spillane, Reiser & Reimer
2002) regarding the requirements of the new geography curriculum. In the South African context, the
geography curriculum advisers greatly influence the interpretation of policy. As policy mediators and
advisers, curriculum advisers influence the way in which policy is interpreted, understood and
implemented through interacting with the geography teachers at individual level, school level as well as
through meetings and staff development workshops at district, provincial and national level (see section
5.4.6). According to the teacher participants, the curriculum advisers have been silent on the
incorporation of environmental concerns in the geography curriculum and on how to implement EE and
ESD. As a result, some of the teacher participants such as Thomas (see section 5.3.1) have difficulties
in identifying EE and ESD themes in the geography curriculum. Nevertheless, the curriculum advisers
have generally been supportive to the geography teacher participants except in School 5 where Thomas
and Lloyd feel that they need more support. There is need for the curriculum advisers to pay more
attention to the implementation of EE and ESD because environmental concerns are incorporated in the
geography curriculum. The curriculum advisers need to provide the required support to the geography
teachers in the implementation of EE and ESD.
The policy signals or the way the policy is represented can influence the agents’ sense-making
(Spillane, Reiser & Reimer 2002). A number of teacher participants (Maggie, Ian, Johan, Oliver, Lloyd
and Thomas) acknowledged that they do not refer to the geography NCS document during lesson
preparation (see section 5.4.6). This is illustrated by the fact that some of the teacher participants such
as Oliver, Godwin and Thomas (see section 5.4.2.2) admitted that they have not come across the
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enquiry approach in the curriculum document. It is not clear what their reasons are for ignoring the
geography NCS document. The design or representation of the policy document could explain why
some of the teacher participants are reluctant to refer to it. The new policy document is large and
cumbersome. Probably they feel that the reading process is time consuming. This is an illustration of
the impact of the technicist model of curriculum planning48. The geography teachers have become
deskilled (Hargreaves 1994; Reddy 2000) due to the fact that there was minimum consultation in the
process of designing the new curriculum. Additionally, they have limited professional development to
assist them with the implementation process. As a result, they have become technicians who heavily
rely on curriculum advisers for sense-making or interpretation of policy as shown by the religious
adherence to prepared work schedules and pace setters from the Western Cape Education Department in
this study (see section 5.4.6). Bantwini (2010), researching on the implementation of the RNCS in one
of the districts in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, found that many teachers had not made an
effort to study the curriculum document on their own. The teacher participants complained that the
curriculum document was too thick and time-consuming to read. Additionally, they stated that the
document is unclear and that they needed assistance to make sense of the policy.
Effective training and better support from the Department of Basic Education could improve the
teachers’ capacity to make sense of the policy and as a result implement the curriculum as was
originally intended. Eight of the ten teacher participants (Ian, Johan, Hilton, Robert, Oliver, Godwin,
Vena and Thomas) mentioned that concerns about the environment were addressed during their pre-
service training. This could imply that they were trained to teach EE and ESD through the geography
curriculum. Only, Maggie and Lloyd stated that their pre-service training courses did not adequately
prepare them to teach EE and ESD. Most of the teacher participants have a long teaching service (15-
35 years). Their courses are likely to have included conservation education (see sections 3.1.1) and not
EE and ESD as it is currently conceptualised. Conservation education is based on a narrow view of the
environment which excludes the human dimension (social, economic and political). The period during
which the teacher participants were trained was characterised by conservative attitudes towards both
education49 (see Christian National Education 1971; Flanagan 1992; Nel & Binns 1999) and the
48
The curriculum development process, aimed at achieving educational transformation after the inception of democracy rule, followed the
Research, Development, Dissemination and Adoption model (RDDA), where the Department of Education engaged “experts” to design the
curriculum, with little or no involvement of teachers (Jansen 1997; Le Grange & Reddy 1997; Kruss 1998; Reddy 2000).
49
Christian National Education incorporating Bantu education was underpinned by the philosophy of Fundamental Pedagogics. This promoted
“unquestioning acceptance of authority” and was “presented to student teachers as universal scientific basis from which the educator was to
lead a child to adulthood, a process which required inter alia obedience to authority” (Janse van Rensburg & Mhoney 2000: 43-44).
According to Symmonds (1996: 7) some of the main features of Christian National Education were that:
 It helped to maintain the status quo;
 A transmissive teaching style which encouraged rote learning was mainly used;
 Students were regarded as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge;
 Learners were passive and were not regarded as co-constructors of knowledge;
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environment. This aspect of the teacher participants’ background explains why the general view of EE
and ESD which they reveal is that of conservation education as noted above in section 5.4.1.2.
Lack of training was found to be one of the main barriers that is likely to hinder the implementation of
EE by high school geography teachers (Ballantyne, Oelofse & Winter 1999) and primary school
teachers (Reddy 2000) in South Africa. Kimaryo (2011) established that primary school teachers were
not well trained in the implementation of environmental education in Tanzanian schools. Additionally,
the teachers had not been provided with INSET courses either, in order to enhance their capacity to
successfully teach environmental education. In a study done by Ham & Sewing (1988) in the US, the
majority of the teacher participants ranked lack of knowledge about EE among other barriers as “most
important” to “important”. In this study the teachers generally felt that they had not been adequately
prepared and trained to conduct environmental education. A number of other studies have established
that lack of effective pre-service and in-service training of teachers in EE is one of the major barriers to
its effective implementation in the school curriculum (see also section 3.3.4 and 3.3.5) (Braus 1995;
Ham & Sewing 1988; Gajuś-Lankamer 2004; Grace & Sharp 2000; Taylor 1998).
In the foregoing discussion I used Spillane, Reiser & Reimer’s (2002) cognitive model of policy
implementation to show how the teacher participants make sense of EE and ESD, as a curriculum
innovation in geography education. Spillane, Reiser & Reimer (2002) argue that their model does not
replace other models of policy implementation but it supplements them. In the following sections I
discuss the pedagogical approaches used by the teacher participants and highlight some of the barriers
that hinder the successful implementation of EE and ESD as a curriculum innovation in geography
education. Besides experiencing difficulties in making sense of and interpreting the curriculum
document, the teacher participants grapple with using appropriate pedagogical approaches.
6.3 TEACHERS GRAPPLING WITH PEDAGOGICAL ASPECTS AND STRATEGIES
6.3.1 Opportunities for learner-centred approaches
The teacher participants generally interpret enquiry learning suggested in the curriculum document as
referring to research projects or assignments. These research projects are teacher-directed and designed
in such a way that the learners obtain factual information from library books, newspapers and the
internet. This (mis)interpretation of enquiry learning has been reported by Spillane, Reiser & Reimer
(2002) in the US. Attempts to introduce inquiry pedagogy in science education have been thwarted by
the tendency to understand it as just an extension of library research. The policy documents originally
 The teacher was the main source of all knowledge; and,

 Scientism was glorified.
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intended that the teachers should facilitate the development of question posing, investigation and
argumentation among students in science education. According to Gentner, Rattermann & Forbus
(1993) cited in Spillane, Reiser & Reimer (2002: 396), this interpretation of enquiry learning can be
explained by the fact that “people often rely on superficial similarities when accessing related
information from memory ...” The teacher participants in this study are applying what they already
know about research projects and assignments because their education and training focused on teaching
of knowledge to enhance success in the examinations (Ballantyne & Oelofse 1989; Nel & Binns 1999).
Spillane, Reiser & Reimer (2002) argue that this tendency to view new policy messages as familiar may
prevent change and thus result in policy failure.
Such projects and assignments which are teacher-directed and carried out only through library research
are likely to promote the teaching and learning of knowledge at the expense of skills, attitudes and
values required for responsible environmental behaviour.
Although the Learning Programme Guidelines for geography (Department of Education 2008a),
provide information on enquiry learning, some of the teachers are likely to have missed the policy
messages about the enquiry approach because they rely more on work schedules and pace setters than
on the geography NCS and Learning Programme Guidelines. Some of the teacher participants, (for
example Ian, Hilton and Thomas), use the idea of key questions suggested in the Learning Programme
Guidelines (Department of Education 2008a: 26) in planning and teaching the lessons, but they do not
link the key questions to the enquiry approach. This is illustrated by Hilton’s comments on how he uses
key questions: “I have my lessons on PowerPoint and so, as part of the objectives and key questions, I
include sustainable development.”
The idea of key questions is used by some of the teacher participants to focus the teaching and learning
programmes on the content and context of the teaching and learning programmes. The key questions are
useful in the implementation of EE and ESD through the curriculum because they guide the enquiry
process. The teacher and learners can formulate questions that guide their investigations as they seek
answers to local environmental issues. The idea of key questions which can help the teachers and
learners to apply the enquiry approach (Department of Education 2008a), appears to have been
incorporated into the behaviourist perspective in which the teacher participants were trained (Nel &
Binns 1999). According to Spillane, Reiser & Reimer (2002: 398), the tendency for implementing
agents to see “new ideas as familiar” is a stumbling block to policy implementation as illustrated in this
study. It appears as if some of the teacher participants interpret key questions as objectives. Spillane,
Reiser & Reimer (2002) further point out that the new ideas in the policy messages may be incorporated
into the agents’ “knowledge structures and beliefs” without focusing on areas where new policy differs
fundamentally from previous policies resulting in superficial changes. Corney (2000) and Roberts
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(2010) observe that there are varied interpretations of the meaning of enquiry learning and of how it is
practised among geography teachers in England despite the fact that the teachers are increasingly being
called upon to use it. Enquiry learning means much more than mere research, based on factual
knowledge as revealed by the teacher participants in this study. In the implementation of the geography
NCS, the enquiry process can incorporate teaching and learning through the issues-based approach,
investigation through fieldwork, problem-solving activities, and the development of critical thinking
skills as well as values clarification in addition to gathering knowledge in order to promote more
sustainable lifestyles (see section 2.6.4).
The implementation of EE and ESD within the OBE policy framework means that the teachers can
exploit the opportunities provided by the OBE features of learner-centred approaches that promote
active learning (Le Grange & Reddy 1997; Meerkotter 1998). Three of the teacher participants
(Maggie, Hilton and Vena) pointed out that they predominantly use learner-centred approaches in their
teaching. Maggie stated that she encourages active learning through class discussions, assignments and
projects. She also incorporates local issues into the teaching and learning programmes. Hilton
articulated the importance of using learner-centred approaches to enable the learners to engage in active
learning (see section 5.2.2), through a variety of methods such as simulation, group work, role-play,
debates, class discussions and problem-based case studies. Vena stated that she mainly uses learner-
centred approaches such as discussions, tasks, assignments and projects. Because School 2 is well-
resourced when compared to the other five schools, field excursions involving all the geography
learners are used regularly. Another three teacher participants (Ian, Johan and Godwin) communicated
that they use both learner-centred and teacher-centred methods. Ian uses class discussions and research
assignments in an effort to incorporate learner-centred approaches. Johan mentioned group work
assignments and presentations that are used to encourage active learning in his lessons. Godwin uses
projects and assignments among other pedagogical approaches.
It is not likely that the teacher participants understand what learner-centred approaches are. Their views
appear to be simplistic perceptions of learner-centred approaches as just learner activities. Hilton, unlike
the other participants, engages in deeper reflections regarding perspectives on teaching and learning
including his role in the teaching-learning situation. In the context of the implementation of
environmental concerns in C2005, Janse van Rensburg & Lotz-Sisitka (2000) found that teachers
participating in the Learning for Sustainability pilot project in Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces,
generally had surface-level interpretations of learner-centred approaches. The teachers did not
understand the constructivist learning theories underpinning the approach as well as their roles in the
teaching-learning process. In this study it is not likely that the teacher participants understand
constructivist epistemology that underpins learner-centred approaches either because their education
and training was underpinned by behaviourist perspectives (Nel & Binns 1999) including the
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philosophy of Fundamental Pedagogics (see section 6.2) (Janse van Rensburg & Mhoney 2000).
According to Spillane, Reiser & Reimers’s (2002) cognitive model, implementing agents tend to focus
on “superficial similarities” when presented with new policy requiring them to make profound changes
in their behaviour or classroom practice resulting in only limited changes in their behaviour or practice.
The use of learner-centred approaches is likely to be hindered by the shortage of resources in some
schools. Some classrooms had bare walls, without additional teaching and learning materials such as
charts. In some schools the only learning resources were textbooks and the blackboard in the
classrooms, for example in Schools 4 and 5. In School 3 half of the Grade 10 learners, where lesson
observation was conducted, had textbooks. Three schools, (Schools 1, 2 and 3), had an additional
teaching and learning resource in the form of an overhead projector and computer in the classroom for
PowerPoint lesson presentations. This is the main mode of lesson presentation in School 2. However,
use of PowerPoint lesson presentations is likely to encourage frequent use of the lecture method by the
teacher and note-taking by the learners. Through the Western Cape Education Department’s Khanya
project, previously disadvantaged secondary schools in the province have been provided with computer
laboratories but the number of computers is still inadequate. Geography teachers can use this
Information Communications Technology (ICT) resource to promote learner-centred approaches in the
teaching and learning programmes. However, priority is given to learners doing computer-based
subjects such as Computer Applications Technology (CAT) and some Mathematics programmes using
MasterMaths software. Only two of the selected schools, Schools 2 and 4 had functioning libraries or
media centres, but Schools 1 and 3 had converted their libraries into an extra classroom and computer
laboratory respectively, while the library in School 5 still had to be stocked with books.
A lot of the learner-centred activities indicated above by the teacher participants are likely to be
directed by them resulting in the lessons becoming more teacher-centred rather than learner-centred.
Despite the claims of using learner-centred approaches by some teacher participants noted above, the
limited lesson observation of five of the ten teacher participants showed that they predominantly used
didactic approaches which promote rote learning.
In some lessons only two or three learners responded to questions which had been asked by the teacher
while the rest of the learners quietly copied information into their books (See Appendix B:6). Some of
the teachers provided notes either on slides or on the blackboard for the learners to copy. A whole
lesson in some cases was set aside for learners to quietly copy information from the blackboard. This
practice promotes rote learning of knowledge with the aim of preparing learners for examinations. Such
classroom conditions of inadequate resources and traditional teaching practices, are not conducive to
the effective teaching and learning of EE and ESD. EE and ESD needs to be implemented through
learner-centred approaches that promote active learning. Ballantyne, Oelofse & Winter (1999: 90)
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found evidence in an international survey that South African teachers and teacher educators “tend be
directing the teaching/learning environment more than their counterparts”, approaches I find dominant
in this study. Raselimo (2012) found that geography teachers in Lesotho predominantly used textbooks
and dominated the teaching-learning process despite claims that they used learner-centred approaches,
much like the teacher participants in this study.
While the use of research projects noted earlier, in implementing the geography curriculum is
commendable in that it promotes active learning among the learners and also provides them with an
opportunity to focus on environmental issues, the teacher participants tend to promote the teaching of
knowledge at the expense of skills, attitudes and values. Some teachers revealed that learners obtain
factual information from libraries, the internet or newspapers when they do the projects. Furthermore,
one of the teacher participants, Robert acknowledges the importance attached to teaching knowledge for
examinations. He constantly refers to the importance of transmitting knowledge through the geography
lessons. The lesson observation also shows that the teachers transmit factual information to prepare
learners for examinations. The teaching of environmental knowledge alone is not likely to result in
responsible environmental behaviour. Similarly, it has been observed in other parts of the world that
teachers tend to concentrate more on the transmission of environmental knowledge and neglect the
teaching of skills, attitudes and values (Ballantyne 1999; Braus 1995; Buzhar 2004; Ramsey,
Hungerford & Volk 1992; Stevenson 2007). In the US context, Braus (1995) observed that teachers
mainly teach environmental knowledge and awareness in environmental education. Many teachers
“emphasize awareness and knowledge - especially the facts … [and have] done much less with
developing skills, investigating values, and creating a commitment to take action” (Braus 1995:
S48).
Ballantyne & Packer (1996) propose that environmental educators should teach knowledge, skills,
attitudes, values and behaviour in an integrated manner using constructivist approaches. It has been
observed that “neither a knowledge-based approach nor a values-education approach in isolation is
adequate to fulfil the aims of environmental education” (Ballantyne & Packer 1996: 26). Constructivist
approaches can be used to develop the cognitive domain through the use of group learning where the
learners get opportunities “to explain, elaborate, or defend their positions to others” (Ballantyne &
Packer 1996: 28). This “uncertainty, questioning, and criticism leads to dissatisfaction with inadequate
conceptions, mental experimentation with new conceptions, and the integration and elaboration of
knowledge in new ways” (Brown & Palinscar 1989) cited by Ballantyne & Packer (1996: 28).
According to Ballantyne & Packer (1996) the development of values and attitudes could be achieved
through outdoor experiences or fieldwork which enables them to observe environmental issues and to
discuss how they can improve the environment. Additionally, the use of journals for critical reflection
and story telling can help to enhance the growth of the affective domain as well. Hungerford & Volk
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(1990: 15) suggest that environmental behaviour should be taught through “the issue investigation and
action model”. This involves the creation of opportunities to engage with real life issues which are of
interest to the learners. The learners investigate the issues in depth, formulate strategies for resolving
the issues, evaluate the strategies and then put them into action where possible. The strategies outlined
above can help the geography teachers to achieve goals of teaching EE and ESD through the geography
curriculum: promoting the learning of more sustainable lifestyles through teaching environmental
knowledge, skills, attitudes and values.
6.3.2 Persistence of teacher-centred approaches
While some of the teacher participants (see section 6.3.1) claimed that they use learner-centred
approaches, four participants (Robert, Oliver, Lloyd and Thomas) acknowledged that they
predominantly use the teacher-centred approach. Robert and Oliver argue that it is the main pedagogical
approach that they are used to which they acquired from their pre-service training programmes. They
have 27 years and 35 years teaching experience respectively. Lloyd and Thomas on the other hand,
argue that the poor language skills of the learners prevent them from meaningfully participating in class
discussions. Lloyd also feels that “the learner-centred approach takes more time” resulting in problems
with finishing the syllabuses in time for examinations. These problems, according to Lloyd, force the
teachers to dominate the lessons through transmissive approaches. Besides teaching in order to
complete syllabuses, these participants appear to have difficulties in making sense of prescribed
pedagogical approaches such as enquiry-based teaching and learning and the issues-based approach. As
a result, they continue working with a pedagogical approach which they are more familiar with. These
four teachers are likely to focus more on teaching environmental knowledge or education about the
environment and neglect teaching education for the environment which incorporates the teaching of
critical thinking skills and values education in addition to environmental knowledge (see section
3.1.1.2). This finding concurs with what Ballantyne, Oelofse & Winter (1999: 90) established through
an international survey that South African high school geography teachers generally use teacher-centred
approaches which place less emphasis on “the development of skills, critical thinking, investigation and
taking appropriate action [on environmental issues].”
According to Stevenson (2007) and Blignaut (2008) the teachers’ decisions to use particular
pedagogical approaches can be explained by their epistemologies. This refers to their selection of
knowledge, how it is organised and their beliefs about how knowledge should be transmitted
(Stevenson 2007). Blignaut (2008: 103) observes that “assumptions about knowledge as objective,
value-free unchangeable facts need to be replaced with a recognition of knowledge as being
developed and promulgated by people in particular socio-political contexts with particular
value assumptions.” The teacher participants who dominate the teaching-learning process and
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rely on textbooks as revealed in this study by Robert, Oliver, Lloyd and Thomas are likely to have
an objectivist view of knowledge (Stevenson 2007).
According to Ko & Lee (2003), the continued use of exposition methods in teaching science subjects in
some Hong Kong high schools is one of the barriers that prevents the effective implementation of EE in
the science curriculum. The teachers in this study were found to be more inclined to use the lecture
method and textbooks which promote the teaching of knowledge for syllabus completion and
examinations. Despite the policy changes towards learner-centred approaches in schools in Singapore,
the teachers’ classroom practice has remained “strongly teacher-centred” (Curdt-Christiansen & Silver
2012). Similarly, there has been limited change in classroom practice despite the introduction of
reforms aimed at replacing teacher-centred, transmissive approaches with learner-centred, enquiry-
based approaches in Chinese schools (Yan 2012). Additionally, it has been observed that didactic
teacher-centred approaches in geography education are not as effective as enquiry approaches in
promoting positive behaviour towards the environment (Ballantyne, Oelofse & Winter 1999; Yeung
2002).
Yeung (2002) argues that enquiry learning used with the issues-based approach enables learners to
engage in critical reflection on how the profit motive of decision-makers can contribute to
environmental problems and on what action they can take to improve the environment. Furthermore,
enquiry teaching “gives more attention to concern and willingness to act and hence is more conducive
to the development of problem-solving skills and positive environmental behaviour” than didactic
approaches (Yeung 2002: 252). Kwan & So (2008) also support the educational value of enquiry
learning using the issues-based approach to teach EE and ESD. They found that the enquiry approach
focusing on an environmental problem in the field can be an effective method of teaching education for
the environment to senior geography learners in Hong Kong. Additionally, the learners were able to
practise their critical thinking and problem solving skills. Didactic approaches tend to persist in schools
because they are organised to teach knowledge to prepare the learners for examinations (see section
3.3.5) (Stevenson 2007; Yeung 2002). As a result, the teachers experience pressure not only from the
school management but also from learners and parents to produce good results. This pressure tends to
reinforce the use of didactic approaches among teachers (Lam 2007). Tabulawa (2004) found that
senior learners in some Botswana secondary schools clandestinely forced the teachers to continue using
didactic approaches by feigning ignorance when asked to respond to questions during the lessons.
6.3.3 Issues with fieldwork
Fieldwork, which is recommended in the geography NCS document (5.3.1), can be used as part of the
enquiry learning process (see sections 2.6.4). In this study fieldwork is generally interpreted by the
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teacher participants as referring to long distance excursions to other places. According to Spillane,
Reiser & Reimer’s (2002) cognitive framework, the teacher participants interpret fieldwork from what
they previously understood about its meaning from their education and training as well as teaching
experiences. This is illustrated by the examples of excursions as well as perceptions of the teacher
participants such as Ian, Johan, Robert, Godwin, Lloyd and Thomas concerning the fieldwork technique
revealed in Chapter 5. Fieldwork conducted by the geography teachers (Johan and Hilton) in School 2 is
a typical example of the traditional field excursion type. The learners engage in conducted tours of the
sites which they visit and they are given information about these sites by the officials. They passively
write notes to enable them to complete assignments when they return to school (see section 5.3.3).
These learners are likely to learn knowledge at the expense of skills, attitudes and values required for
the development of positive environmental behaviour. None of the teacher participants except Maggie
mentions the possibility of doing fieldwork in local areas in the vicinity of the school so as to
investigate local environmental issues (see section 3.3.2). Maggie visited a local river with some of her
learners for a fieldwork lesson which was combined with cleaning the river four years ago (see section
5.3.4). Only Oliver mentions that he has used the school premises to do an outdoor lesson on the
ecosystem. Hilton from School 2 commented that the fieldwork they engage in is “not fieldwork in the
sense that fieldwork should be.” His view of fieldwork is that it should be enquiry-based (see section
5.4.2.3).
A review of the literature concerning type of fieldwork carried out by geography teachers
internationally shows that the traditional field excursion type of fieldwork is quite common (Oosta, De
Vriesa & Van der Scheeb 2011). Additionally, Chew (2008) established that most of the fieldwork
conducted by geography teachers in Singapore is the traditional field excursion type where there is
limited geographical enquiry and discovery. This type of fieldwork can be regarded as an extension of
didactic classroom teaching focusing mainly on the teaching of knowledge because “ … students tend
to adopt relatively passive academic role during an excursion, unable to interpret the landscape
critically with the teacher seen as the all knowing provider of knowledge” (Chew 2008: 324). Similarly,
Han & Foskett (2007) found that geography fieldwork conducted by senior high school teachers in
Taiwan mainly promotes the teaching of classroom knowledge more than skills development.
However, Oosta, De Vriesa & Van der Scheeb (2011) observe a change towards learner-centred,
enquiry-based or problem-based fieldwork in Hong Kong (see Kwan & Chan 2004; Kwan & So 2008;
Yeung 2002), which can promote the effective teaching of EE and ESD in the geography curriculum.
Additionally, Smith’s (1999) research revealed that fieldwork in England has become more enquiry-
based.
Linked to the problem dealt with above is the fact that some of the teacher participants lack the skill of
using fieldwork as a result of the fact that they were not trained on the fieldwork techniques
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(Ballantyne, Oelofse & Winter 1999), and on how to integrate it into the teaching and learning
programmes. This is why they generally interpret it as referring to excursions. Vena was apparently
ignorant of the term fieldwork. The effective teaching of environmental concerns in the geography
curriculum can be carried out through enquiry-based fieldwork so as to promote active learning,
problem-solving skills and critical thinking, clarification of values and the development of positive
behaviour towards the environment (Ballantyne & Packer 1996; Yeung 2002).
Furthermore, large classes and unfavourable teacher-learner ratios especially in schools 1, 4 and 5 (see
Tables 5.1, 5.4 and 5.5) coupled with deteriorating learner discipline (see section 5.1.1) pose challenges
to fieldwork activities. School 2 and 3 have reasonably small geography classes but the latter has a
greater number of classes per grade doing geography at FET level (see tables 5.2 and 5.3). Additionally,
the teacher participants from Schools 1, 3, 4 and 5, revealed that financial constraints prevent them from
using the fieldwork technique. Schools 4 and 5 are no-fee paying schools due their location in the
poorest areas. Schools 1 and 3 also have limited financial resources despite the fact that the learners pay
fees because, according to the school principals, a significant number of poor parents fail to pay fees.
Some of the teacher participants stated that shortage of time tends to limit the amount of fieldwork.
The time allocated for geography lessons in the school timetable is such that for teachers to incorporate
fieldwork activities, they would have to disrupt the rest of the school timetable (see section 5.4.2).
Furthermore, there are other school activities that demand the geography teachers’ time such as
supervision of sports and cultural activities during the afternoon and some weekends (see section 5.1.1).
The teachers also have other school responsibilities such as administrative work which take up their
time. Therefore such a large workload on teachers leaves very little time outside the teaching hours to
engage in fieldwork. Furthermore, the need to finish syllabuses in order to prepare the learners for
examinations has a bearing on the pedagogical approaches that are preferred by teachers (Ballantyne,
Oelofse & Winter 1999; Stevenson 2007; Wesso & Parnell 1992). These findings support those of
Reddy (2000) who established that some Western Cape primary school teachers in South Africa are
prevented from effectively carrying out EE fieldwork activities by barriers that include lack of time,
shortage of finance and other resources, large classes, poor learner discipline and lack of training.
Furthermore, South African high school geography teachers and teacher educators in an international
survey pointed to time constraints, personal heavy workloads and lack of training as being the main
barriers that hinder the incorporation of EE in the geography lessons (Ballantyne, Oelofse & Winter
1999). Earlier on, Hurry (1979) identified lack of time as a major stumbling block that prevented South
African high school geography teachers from using fieldwork. In Taiwan, Han & Foskett (2007)
established that geography teachers are mainly constrained by safety issues, large classes and the impact
of the fieldwork activities on the school time table. The latter raises concerns related to the effect of
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lessons missed by the teachers on the performance of the students in an examination focused school
system.
Despite the fact that the curriculum document suggests that fieldwork should be used as part of enquiry
learning, the assessment guidelines stipulate that it is optional (Department of Education 2008b). This
means that the teachers can assess other tasks such as a research project or an assignment in place of
fieldwork (see section 5.4.3) for purposes of compiling the learners’ portfolio of marks (Department of
Education 2008b). Because fieldwork is not a requirement for purposes of assessment, some of the
geography teachers are likely to select easier ways of assessing learners than fieldwork given the
perceived constraints of doing fieldwork discussed above. With limited fieldwork, the teaching of EE
and ESD is likely to be ineffective. Because of the perceived constraints of using fieldwork noted
above, geography teachers ranked fieldwork skills as least important when compared to the
development of environmental awareness, knowledge or concepts, personal environmental ethic and
attitudes among other items in an international survey (Ballantyne 1999). Furthermore, South African
high school geography teachers, like their international counterparts, revealed that they generally lack
support for fieldwork as an approach to provide opportunities for learners to tackle environmental
issues (Ballantyne, Oelofse & Winter 1999).
6.3.4 Taking action on local environmental issues
None of the teacher participants except Maggie have worked with the learners to address local
environmental issues. Maggie involved her geography learners in cleaning a local river a few times four
years ago (see section 5.3.4). She has since stopped because of constraints such as safety concerns,
large classes, lack of time and an increased workload. Lack of involvement of the other participants
could be explained by lack of awareness of the strategies of implementing EE and ESD. Additionally,
logistical barriers (Ham & Sewing 1988) created by elements of the school organization (Stevenson
2007) and shortage of resources pose a major challenge to those teachers who might want to take action
on local environmental issues (see section 3.2.3). Interestingly, Hilton is involved in his personal
capacity as an animal rights activist but he has not involved any of his learners (see section 5.1.1).
Ballantyne, Oelofse & Winter (1999: 87) established that South African high school geography teachers
generally support the idea that they should develop the learners’ environmental awareness and
knowledge “rather than encouraging the students to translate their understanding into personal action
for the environment.”
A number of studies have repeatedly shown that there is little or no relationship between the teaching of
environmental knowledge and the development of responsible environmental behaviour (Hungerford &
Volk 1990; Kollmuss & Agyeman 2002; Vare & Scott (2007). Hungerford & Volk (1990) suggest that
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the implementation of the issue investigation and action model can promote responsible environmental
behaviour. They argue that the issue investigation and action process can positively affect learners’
attitudes and values towards the environment. Additionally, the learners learn skills (for example
problem-solving and decision-making skills) during the issue investigation process. Lastly, they then
learn to take action on the issues that they have successfully investigated. Taking action on the issues
can involve evaluating different courses of action resulting in the development of critical thinking skills.
6.3.5 The issues-based approach
None of the teacher participants uses the issues-based approach to organise content for teaching and
learning geography. Maggie and Ian pointed out that they use the issues-based approach when they give
learners assignments and research projects. Some of the teacher participants for example Oliver, Hilton
and Robert struggle to make sense of the meaning and importance of the issues-based approach in the
effective teaching of EE and ESD in the geography curriculum. Hilton argues that other pedagogical
approaches are just as good as the issues-based approach (see section 5.4.5.2). Hilton’s view is
illustrated by this comment: “If one used the issues-based approach, that is only one method. There are
other methods where you can, for example, use various types of data as visual stimuli.” The teacher
participants teach the content as it appears in the syllabuses of the different grades at FET level. All the
teacher participants use the systematic approach following the guidelines provided by work schedules
and pace setters which are provided by the Western Cape Education Department. In the systematic
approach (see section 2.2.2), the different themes are taught separately, for example weather studies,
ecosystems, landforms, people and their needs in the Grade 10 syllabus. The geography teachers tackle
environmental issues such as pollution, global warming, gender issues etc while they are teaching the
different themes. The teachers are likely to teach about the issues incorporated in the syllabus themes
and thus transmit environmental knowledge at the expense of skills, attitudes and values. The
systematic approach has been criticized (Preston-Whyte 1983; Meadows 1985) on the grounds that it
undermines the effective teaching and learning of human-environment relations (see section 2.6.5.5).
The integration of the different themes using the issues-based approach could make the learners realise
that environmental problems result from human-environment interactions.
The curriculum could be implemented using the issued-based enquiry approach focusing on some of the
local environmental problems (Reddy 2000; Wilmot & Norton 2004). A study conducted with Western
Cape primary school teachers in South Africa by Reddy (2000) was an action research project aimed at
equipping them with skills of designing issues-based curricula so as to effectively incorporate
environmental concerns in the teaching and learning programmes. Wilmot & Norton (2004) developed
and trialled an issues-based enquiry teaching and learning programme for geography for Grade 9
learners in two South African schools in the Eastern Cape. These two studies show the value of the
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issues-based enquiry approach for implementing EE and ESD in the school curriculum. Furthermore,
the issues-based approach creates an opportunity for the learners to have a holistic perspective on the
environmental problems (Braun 2005). According to Hill (1993) and Yeung (2002), the issues-based
approach can contribute to the development of critical thinking skills. The issues-based inquiry “has the
potential for developing a critical perspective, a set of habits that together are called critical and
reflective thinking” (Hill 1993: 73).
6.3.6 Inculcating critical thinking skills
An exploration of the teacher participants’ views on how they could promote critical thinking skills in
geography education revealed that some of them (Maggie and Vena) were not clear of what critical
thinking entails (see section 5.4.5.1) despite the fact that it is not only one of the critical outcomes of
OBE, but it is also prescribed in the geography NCS document. Additionally, the teacher participants
were generally not clear of what strategies could be used to promote critical thinking in the geography
teaching and learning programmes. Some of the teacher participants such as Maggie, Johan, Robert,
Oliver and Lloyd acknowledged that critical thinking skills are poorly developed among many learners
in their schools (see section 5.4.5.1). Maggie shifted the blame on generally falling standards of
education in her school. Ian, Godwin and Thomas claimed that they have been able to promote critical
thinking skills through challenging the learners with the key geography questions. Although Hilton
claimed that some of the learners whom he teaches can think critically, he could not explain how the
geography teaching and learning programmes promote the development of critical thinking skills. He,
however, acknowledged that the privileged status of most of the learners in School 2 exposes them to a
lot of information through the media and internet. If the geography teachers continue to teach using
didactic, teacher-centred approaches that encourage rote learning of environmental knowledge as
discussed in sections 6.3.1 and 6.3.2, they are likely to reinforce the acceptance of the status quo with
regards to unsustainable lifestyles (see Stevenson 2007).
Robottom (1996) cited by Lotz-Sisitka (2002) is concerned that EE’s focus on environmental issues
tackled through critical and reflexive skills is difficult to institutionalize in school curricula. He fears
that its incorporation into the school curricula might result in “centrally indicated, decontextualised
content for environmental learning, and assessment of technical knowledge and skills” (Lotz-Sisitka
2002: 101), a concern also expressed by Le Grange & Reddy (1997) with regards to the South African
context. Kwan & Stimpson (2003: 123) concur with Robottom (1996) regarding the implementation of
EE and ESD in the core curriculum of schools in Singapore. They point out that “curriculum detail
stresses information of a dominantly scientific nature reflecting a largely academic rationalist, rather
than socially critical, approach” due to the fact that education is oriented towards examinations.
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6.4 SUMMARY
Despite an enabling policy framework provided by the geography NCS to implement EE and ESD so as
to achieve the goal of teaching knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and positive environmental
behaviour, the above discussion has shown that this goal is not likely to be achieved. This research
reveals that in their efforts to implement EE and ESD, the teacher participants, mainly teach
environmental knowledge. There are a number of barriers that hinder them from successfully
implementing EE and ESD. First, they face conceptual barriers regarding the meaning of EE, SD and
ESD and the nature of geography. The participants still mainly view EE and ESD as conservation
education dealing with only the protection of the biophysical environment. Additionally, their
perception of teaching EE and ESD is that creating awareness of environmental problems by
transmitting environmental knowledge can result in positive environmental behaviour. Second, the
centrist curriculum development process has reduced the teachers to technicians, using work schedules
and pace setters but not reflectively engaging with the NCS individually so as to develop appropriate
pedagogical content knowledge. Third, because the participants are experiencing difficulties with the
prescribed pedagogical approaches and strategies such as enquiry learning including fieldwork and the
issues-based approach, they continue using teacher-centred didactic approaches which are not
appropriate for teaching EE and ESD. Fourth, the shortage of resources and other barriers hinder the use
of learner-centred approaches such as fieldwork. Fifth, it is evident that these participants have not been
trained and neither do they have support specifically with implementing EE and ESD. Sixth, because
schools are organized in such a way that they are examination-oriented, preparation for examinations
takes precedence over other activities resulting in the marginalisation of EE and ESD. All these
constraints help to explain why there is a gap between policy rhetoric and practice revealed by this
research in the implementation of EE and ESD through the geography curriculum.
To place this discussion in the context of curriculum implementation research mentioned in Chapter 1,
the integration of environmental concerns in the school curricula took place during a period of far
reaching, systemic educational changes after the inception of democracy rule in South Africa (Reddy
2011). The teachers had to contend with not only a new and more complex OBE system underpinning
the new curricula but also with implementing EE and ESD through the new curricula (Lotz, Tselane &
Wagiet 1998). According to Reddy (2011), these widespread educational changes had to happen within
a short period of time. It is therefore, not surprising that numerous implementation problems were
experienced (see also Chisholm et al 2000). The implementation problems continue to be experienced,
as revealed in this research that the participants largely use didactic, teacher-centred pedagogical
approaches to transmit environmental knowledge as a result of the influence of barriers discussed
above. In the next chapter, I conclude the research, suggest recommendations for both policy and
further research and end with reflections on the research process.
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CHAPTER 7: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND

REFLECTIONS
In Chapter 6, I interpreted and discussed the data provided by the teacher participants using Spillane,
Reiser & Reimer’s (2002) cognitive model of the policy implementation process as a framework for
discussing the findings. I also discussed the pedagogical approaches and strategies employed by the
teachers to implement the curriculum including the barriers that hinder them from using the strategies
that are prescribed in the curriculum document. This was done in order to achieve the main aim of this
study: to find out how EE and ESD are being implemented through the geography curriculum in South
African secondary schools. The study deals with teachers as curriculum implementers and will help to
explain the problematic policy-practice gap in the implementation of EE and ESD, a curriculum
innovation in geography education. Chapter 7 is the concluding chapter in which I first provide a
summary of the research project and then the conclusions and recommendations. The chapter ends with
a section on personal reflections and comments on methodological reflections and limitations.
7.1 SUMMARY
The state of the environment continues to deteriorate globally. This is reflected in the high rate of
biodiversity loss and the visible consequences of global warming and climate change. The destruction
of the biophysical environment will have a negative impact on the other components; the social, the
economic and the political. The deterioration of the human environment has recently manifested itself
in increased levels of poverty and disease epidemics such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan
Africa. Furthermore, the population’s vulnerability to disasters appears to have increased in recent
years. In order to respond to the worsening state of the global environment, the teaching and learning of
environmental education and education for sustainability should be improved in schools. Geography
can play a leading role in imparting knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and behaviour required to
protect the environment in a subject-based curriculum, for example at FET level in South African
secondary schools.
The EE concept has evolved in tandem with the concept of environment. Because the environment was
initially regarded as referring only to the biophysical component, environmental education was initially
conceived of as focusing on conservation education whose goal is the protection of the biophysical
environment. This is illustrated by Stapp et al’s (1969) definition of EE which takes a narrow view of
the environment, focusing on the protection of the biophysical environment and excludes the human
components. EE is currently conceptualised as being based on a broader, more holistic view of the
environment which consists of the interacting biophysical, social, economic and political components.
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The human components are sustained by the biophysical component. Unlike Stapp et al’s (1969)
definition of EE, the IUCN (1970) acknowledges the interconnectedness of the four dimensions of the
environment. The approaches to studying environmental education proposed by Lucas (1972) in the
form of education about, in and for the environment helped to further clarify the environmental
education concept.
There are many discourses on the meaning of sustainable development focusing on the link between
environmental education and sustainable development and the differences / similarities between EE and
ESD. The most popular definition of sustainable development coined by WCED (1987: 48) is that it
refers to “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.” Sustainable development is concerned with economic
development, social development and protecting the environment. There are concerns that the concept
of sustainable development is unashamedly linked with economic growth, excessive extraction of
resources from the environment and instrumentalism. According to some environmental educationists
such as Robottom (2007), the advent of the ESD discourse and DESD could promote economic
development at the expense of the quality of the environment.
This research project is first contextualized within geographical education research in South Africa and
then within implementation research in general. Geographical education research in South Africa
mainly focuses on four areas: the academic geography discipline; geography education in the context of
C2005; pedagogical aspects of the school geography; and, the role of geography as a vehicle for
teaching environmental education. This research aims to promote the environmental education and
education for sustainable development discourse from the perspective of geography education at
secondary school level in the South African context. The research has been done against the
background of the DESD (2005-2014).
The broader context of this research project is that of curriculum innovation and implementation,
because it focuses on curriculum implementation taking place following the far reaching educational
changes in post-apartheid South Africa. According Fullan & Pomfret (1977) and Fullan (2001),
education policy reforms generally have a limited impact on the teachers’ classroom practice and as a
result, there is often a pronounced gap between policy rhetoric and practice due to a number of factors.
One of the most important factors concerns teacher attributes because teachers play a central role in the
success or failure of the implementation of curriculum innovations.
Despite the shortcomings and implementation problems of C2005 launched in 1997, its advent after
1994 provided an opportunity and space for infusing environmental education. It is necessary to find
out whether South African education has been re-oriented towards sustainable development during the
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DESD. In order to investigate the above problem, the main research question focuses on how EE and
ESD are being implemented through the secondary school geography curriculum.
In order to answer the above question, a qualitative case study research design underpinned by the
interpretive research paradigm, was used. The case study research design highlights the influence of
context on the findings. This involved 10 geography teacher participants comprising 8 males and 2
females from five secondary schools selected through purposeful sampling. The following criteria were
considered in selecting the sample of schools. First, the selected schools are all public high schools with
FET and independent schools were excluded. Second, the sample schools are representative of the
socio-cultural and socio-economic context of the Western Cape. Thirdly, the schools have geography in
the school curriculum. The most senior, qualified and experienced members of staff participated in the
study. The participants all studied geography and trained to teach the subject at secondary school level.
Eight of the ten participants are over 40 years old whereas only two are less than 40 years old. None of
the participants is less than 30 years old. The teaching experience of the sample of teachers ranges from
9 to 35 years.
A number of research instruments were used to collect data in the field. Data were generated from
questionnaires given to the participating teachers and semi-structured interviews conducted with them.
Data were also generated from lesson observations and the analysis of documents such as the geography
NCS, work schedules and lesson plans. The use of different research instruments ensured the
triangulation of data sources in order to address issues of validity and reliability.
Field notes were written on lessons that were observed. The interviews were recorded and then
transcribed verbatim. The qualitative data were then analysed through thematic analysis (Attride-
Stirling 2001; Boyatzis 1998; Braun & Clarke 2006), which involved the initial coding process using
‘in vivo’ codes. The coding stage was followed by the classification of the codes into categories which
were then classified into major themes. Tables of codes, categories and themes were compiled on Excel
spreadsheets. The research findings were then presented as a thick description of the main themes
including their sub-themes. The themes were illustrated with prolific quotations of the participants’
views extracted from the interview transcripts and other documents. The literature review was
conducted throughout the study in order to provide both the conceptual framework for the study and to
support the research findings.
It is difficult to define geography because of its complex interdisciplinary nature. Geography straddles
the physical and human aspects of the earth’s surface and overlaps between natural sciences, social
sciences and humanities. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that the core of geography includes the
study of location and distribution, place, spatial interaction, region and people-environment
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relationships (IGU-CGE 1992). Because geography is concerned with the study of people-environment
relationships, it is often regarded as one of the most important carrier subjects for teaching EE and ESD
in schools.
Academic geography has been studied through different lenses or schools of geographical thought
which include regionalism, logical positivism, humanism, marxism, critical geography and
postmodernism. Some of these paradigms have limitations in that they prevent the discipline from being
used as an effective vehicle for teaching EE and ESD. On one hand, the positivist paradigm has been
criticised for excluding human values and concerns with social justice whereas humanism, according to
critics, is anthropocentric and tends to promote technocentric human-environment relationships. The
Marxist perspective of critical geography, has contributed the environmental justice concept which is
useful for incorporating environmental concerns into the school geography curriculum. Postmodernism
offers a critical perspective that examines how the issue of unequal power relations contributes to the
understanding of the causes of environmental problems.
When the environmentalism movement began during the 1960s, the contribution of geographers was
much less than that of scientists. The minimal contribution of geographers to the environmentalism
movement has been attributed to a number of factors: the positivist paradigm that dominated
geographical thought during this period; the division of geography into human and physical components
underpinned by different paradigms; and, the introduction of new disciplines that focused more on
environmental management than geography. It is believed that an integrated geography approach can
address problems resulting from human-environment interactions much better than teaching physical
and human geography separately.
Changes in the South African geography discipline have closely followed developments in Anglo-
American geography because of colonization. Local academics are currently struggling to decolonize
the discipline and to infuse a South African identity that incorporates the African continent. South
African geographers have heeded the call for post-apartheid transformation that requires the discipline
to help to address local socio-economic and environmental problems. Changes in school geography
followed developments in academic geography.
During the early stages of the institutionalization of school geography in the late 1800s to early 1900s,
the nature of geography was widely criticized for concentrating on facts about places taught through
transmissive teacher-centred methods. This was the ‘capes and bays’ geography (Biddle 1985; Walford
2000). In England, school geography currently has elements of the positivism, humanism and radical
geography. The enquiry approach to teaching and learning has been introduced in school geography.
The approach involves learners asking key geography questions and it is recommended for the
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investigation of environmental issues. In order to find answers to the questions, the learners are forced
to carry out investigations through research that involves conducting fieldwork. The enquiry approach
is learner-centred and encourages active learning in the geography lessons. Geography education in
South Africa followed developments in school geography in England.
The post-1994 educational changes resulted in concerns that the status of geography in the education
system was in the process of being reduced. However, the launching of RNCS (Department of
Education 2002a) clarified the status of the subject in an integrated social studies curriculum in the GET
band. The position of geography in the FET band is currently secure because it is offered as a separate
subject. The geography NCS for FET (Department of Education 2003b) provides a lot of opportunities
for teaching and learning EE and ESD because environmental concerns are infused in the purpose and
scope of geography, the learning outcomes and assessment standards as well as in the content.
Milestones in the history of environmental education help to promote an “integrated” and “holistic form
of environmental education.” Furthermore, the milestones reaffirm the scope of EE, that it encompasses
the interaction between the social, economic, political and ecological dimensions. Environmental
education in South Africa developed from conservation education in the mid-1970s. EE in South Africa
is concerned not only with the protection of the biophysical environment but also with social justice,
equity, democracy and transformation. The Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa
(EEASA) has played a leading role in the development of environmental education in South Africa.
Attempts by the government in South Africa to introduce environmental education before 1994 were
foiled when the 1989 White Paper on Environmental Education was not enacted into law because some
of the stakeholders were excluded from the drafting process. Following the work of EEPI and EECI,
environmental education was included in the 1995 White Paper on Education and Training, which
provided guidelines for integrating environmental concerns into the school curricula. EE is infused in
the school curricular at GET and FET in the South African school system. The training of teachers to
implement EE mainly focused on teachers operating in the GET band through the NEEP-GET
programme.
The implementation of EE in formal education has been fraught with difficulties internationally. A
number of barriers that hinder its successful implementation have been identified such as lack of
training, lack of lesson time, shortage of resources and an examination-focused school system.
Additionally, tensions have been experienced between maintaining its holistic nature and the school
curriculum that is organized into fragmented disciplines. The aims of school education often clash with
the goals of environmental education. A number of models have been tried in an effort to incorporate
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environmental concerns in the secondary school curriculum but the best model is one where a cross-
curricular approach is used because EE has an interdisciplinary nature.
According to the Tbilisi Principles of Environmental Education (UNESCO 1978), the teaching and
learning programmes should integrate knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and actions using learner-
centred approaches that encourage active learning. The enquiry approach underpinned by constructivist
learning theories is recommended because it encourages question-posing, investigation of
environmental issues through fieldwork, problem-solving, decision-making, reflection and critical
thinking. Geography is considered an ideal vehicle for implementing EE and ESD in schools because of
its interdisciplinarity, similar methods of teaching and overlapping content. Tilbury (1997) suggests a
framework for incorporating EFS into geography education which includes the following: knowledge of
environment and development problems; critical thinking skills; values education; and, involvement
and action.
The results of the study show that the sustainable development theme is central to the curriculum.
Additionally, strategies of implementing EE and ESD such as the enquiry approach, the issues-based
approach, the need to take action on local environmental problems and the need to impart critical
thinking skills, are suggested. The majority of the teacher participants acknowledge the incorporation of
environmental concerns in the curriculum. However, three of the teacher participants have difficulties in
identifying environmental concerns in the curriculum. There is a tendency to marginalise EE and ESD
in the teaching of physical geography topics. This is likely to result from some of the participants’
failure to engage with and reflect on the nature of geography particularly the integrated approach that is
promoted by the curriculum document. The teacher participants mainly consider the inclusion of EE
and ESD when they teach human geography topics despite the suggestion by the curriculum document
that the integrated approach should be used in teaching geography. The reliance on work schedules and
pace setters means that some teachers do not read the original policy document and thus miss the policy
messages on the need to use the integrated approach and on the role of geography in teaching EE and
ESD.
The teacher participants have difficulties in making sense of the meaning of environmental education,
sustainable development and education for sustainable development. Some of the definitions provided
by the policy document are inadequate and misleading resulting in conceptual difficulties for the
teachers. Most of the teacher participants have not come across the concept of education for sustainable
development. These conceptual difficulties help to explain why some of the teacher participants have
difficulties in incorporating EE and ESD in the lessons.
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Although some of the teacher participants claim that they use learner-centred approaches, it appears as
if they have difficulties in distinguishing learner activities from learner-centred approaches underpinned
by constructivist learning theories. They generally have problems in using the enquiry learning
approach prescribed in the curriculum. Other teacher participants prefer using traditional teacher-
centred approaches which enable them to finish syllabuses in time for examinations. The use of learner-
centred approaches such as fieldwork could be hindered by shortage of resources, class time, large
classes, deteriorating discipline and a heavy work load. The perception of the teacher participants is that
curriculum advisors have been silent on the incorporation of environmental concerns in the curriculum.
The teacher participants revealed that curriculum advisers have not provided support that mainly
focuses on the implementation of EE and ESD in the geography curriculum.
7.2 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The research project investigates the implementation of EE and ESD through the geography curriculum
in South African secondary schools in the FET band (Grade 10-12). In order to guide the investigation
process a number of questions were asked. The main question is:
How are EE and ESD being implemented through the school geography curriculum in South African
secondary schools?
This question was broken down into the following sub-questions to provide guidelines for the data
collection phase of the research process:
1. What opportunities for teaching EE and ESD are there in the geography NCS?
2. What are the geography teachers’ perspectives on EE and ESD?
3. How much EE and ESD are taught by the teachers in the geography subject?
4. What methods of teaching dominate in geography instruction?
5. Are there any barriers to teaching EE and ESD in geography and if so, how can they be overcome?
The above questions were largely answered but there are a number of limitations in the research process
as idiscussed in the section on reflections.
7.2.1 Conclusions
The conclusions for each research sub-question are treated separately in the sections that follow.
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7.2.1.1 What opportunities for teaching EE and ESD are there in the geography NCS?
Environmental concerns are incorporated into the geography NCS document (Department of Education
2003b): in the preamble of the curriculum document (the purpose and scope of the geography subject)
at FET level; in the learning outcomes; assessment standards; and, in the content of the Grades 10, 11
and 12 syllabuses. The curriculum policy document also suggests strategies for implementing EE and
ESD such as the issues-based approach, the inculcation of critical thinking skills and the enquiry-based
teaching and learning pedagogical approach. The sustainable development concept is a central theme in
the curriculum. The geography NCS therefore, provides an enabling policy framework because it
provides a lot of opportunities for teaching and learning EE and ESD. Unlike the previous curricula
which emphasised the teaching of knowledge and limited skills, the geography NCS document clearly
states that the main goal of teaching geography is to impart knowledge, skills, attitudes and values
required for more sustainable lifestyles. The majority of the teacher participants acknowledge the
incorporation of environmental concerns in the policy document. However, a minority maintains that
there are limited opportunities, with one participant categorically denying the infusion of environmental
concerns in the Grade 10 syllabus of the curriculum document. It is likely that this participant still
views the process of teaching geography as the transmission of a mass of facts, in order to prepare the
learners for examinations.
7.2.1.2 What are the geography teachers’ perspectives on EE and ESD?
The teacher participants individually experience conceptual barriers regarding the nature of EE and
ESD. The general perspective is that environmental education involves the teaching of information
about environmental issues in order create awareness and to promote positive behaviour towards the
biophysical environment. Furthermore, the teacher participants generally view the concept of
environment as only consisting of the biophysical component that excludes the human dimension
(social, political and economic components). As a result, the general perception of environmental
education revealed by the teacher participants is still that of conservation education which mainly
focuses on the teaching of knowledge and protection of the biophysical environment and excludes the
human dimension. While most of the teacher participants focus on the cognitive domain in making
sense of environmental education, two participants include the affective domain that focuses on the
inculcation of attitudes and values. The view of EE and ESD as referring to the transmission of
environmental knowledge has implications on the pedagogical approach which is likely to be used by
the teacher participants. They are likely to favour teacher-centred approaches to transmit environmental
knowledge, promoting rote learning and the acceptance of the status quo of unsustainable lifestyles.
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There are tensions between the teacher participants’ views on the goal of teaching EE and the goal of
geography education articulated in the policy document (see 7.2.1.1). Most of the teacher participants
view EE as being mainly concerned with the transmission of environmental knowledge whereas the
policy message communicates that the goal of geography education is to impart knowledge, skills,
attitudes and values. With such perspectives on EE, the goal of providing opportunities for the learners
to acquire the knowledge, values, attitudes, commitment and skills needed to protect and improve the
environment as stated in Tbilisi Principles (UNESCO-UNEP 1978), is not likely to be achieved.
The teacher participants’ view of the notion of sustainable development is derived from definition
promoted by WCED (1987), but they concentrate more on inter-generational equity and exclude intra-
generational equity. Only one participant has a perspective of sustainable development that also
includes the need to address the issue of poverty. The policy document promotes an uncritical stance on
sustainable development and as a result, the participants do not confront the problematic nature of the
concept. A few participants view education for sustainable development as being synonymous with
environmental education which mainly focuses on conservation of resources, but most of the
participants have not come across the notion of education for sustainable development.
7.2.1.3 How much EE and ESD are taught by the teachers in the geography subject?
Most of the teacher participants acknowledged the infusion of environmental concerns in the geography
NCS, but they experienced difficulties in incorporating environmental concerns into the lessons. As a
result, some of them prefer greater inclusion of environmental concerns in human geography than
physical geography. This difficulty reveals lack of understanding of the nature of not only EE and ESD
but also that of the nature geography promoted by the curriculum document. The geography NCS
document promotes an integrated approach to the teaching and learning programmes, where human and
physical geography are integrated in the study of environmental issues in order to provide a more
holistic approach. Such an approach enables the learners to understand that environmental issues result
from human-environment interactions. In the case of the participants who have difficulties in
identifying EE and ESD themes and concepts in the curriculum document, teaching geography lessons
is likely to be “business as usual”. They are likely to teach the geography lessons as they have always
taught in the past, teaching geographical facts without consciously making an effort to integrate EE and
ESD in the lessons.
7.2.1.4 What methods of teaching dominate in geography instruction?
Some of the teacher participants’ views of learner-centred approaches appear to be simplistic

perceptions of learner-centred approaches as just learner activities. It is not likely that the participants
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understand the constructivist learning theories underpinning the learner-centred approach as well as
their roles in the teaching-learning process due to their behaviouralist education and training
background. They have surface-level interpretations of learner-centred approaches, for example enquiry
learning is understood as referring to learners doing research based on the collection of factual
information from library books, newspapers and the internet. Although the enquiry approach is
prescribed in the geography NCS document, most teacher participants have difficulties in making sense
of its meaning and using it in the classroom.
Fieldwork is interpreted as long distance excursions dominated by didactic, teacher-centred approaches

focusing on transmission of environmental knowledge. Fieldwork excursions involving all the FET
geography learners are conducted regularly in only one well-resourced school out of the five sample
schools. The barriers that hinder the fieldwork activities include financial constraints, shortage of time,
a large workload, an examination-oriented school system, large classes and an ambiguous policy
message on fieldwork.
Some teacher participants have stuck to the traditional teacher-centred approaches due to the
examination-oriented school system, shortage of resources and possible lack of confidence in the
learner-centred approaches. The teacher participants use the systematic approach to teach physical and
human geography themes separately, instead of the issues-based integrated approach. Additionally, they
have difficulties in making sense of and using the issues-based approach. It appeared as if the teacher
participants have not reflected on how the geography teaching and learning programmes can inculcate
critical thinking. Teacher-centred approaches that promote rote learning of environmental knowledge
are therefore likely to be the norm in most of the teacher-participants’ classrooms.
7.2.1.5 Are there any barriers to teaching EE and ESD in geography and if so, how can they be
overcome?
While the policy provides an enabling framework, with a lot of opportunities for implementing EE and
ESD through the geography NCS as noted above, the teacher participants face a number of challenges
or barriers. These include:
 conceptual barriers regarding the definition of environmental education, sustainable development,

education for sustainable development and the notion of integrated geography;
 difficulties in identifying EE and ESD opportunities in the curriculum document;
 difficulties in identifying, making sense of and using the strategies and appropriate pedagogical
approaches for implementing EE and ESD such as enquiry learning including fieldwork, the issues-
based approach, development of critical thinking skills and taking action on local problems;
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 lack of pre-service and in-service training focusing on EE and ESD;

 lack of support from curriculum advisers on the implementation of EE and ESD;
 use of teacher-centred didactic approaches that promote rote learning and reinforce unsustainable
lifestyles;
 a focus on teaching of facts or environmental knowledge for examinations with less focus on the
development of skills, attitudes and values;
 barriers that hinder fieldwork activities;
 the participants’ behaviouralist education and training background and objectivist view of
knowledge.
As a result of these barriers, it is not likely that EE and ESD will be implemented successfully through
the geography curriculum. Suggestions on how to overcome the barriers will be included under the
section on recommendations on policy.
7.2.2 Recommendations
In the following sections, I deal with recommendations on policy and on future research. The
recommendations on policy could help to address some of the barriers that hinder the implementation of
EE and ESD through the geography curriculum.
7.2.2.1 Implications on policy
EE and ESD can be implemented more successfully within the context of the whole school approach
(Gough 2006c; 2011; Shallcross & Robinson 2008; Tilbury, Coleman & Garlick 2005). This involves
the school administration, all the teachers, learners, parents and other members of the community.
Because environmental concerns are infused in the curricula of all the subjects (Department of
Education 2003a) in the FET band, the whole school approach would enable the geography teachers to
get support not only from the school principal and other teachers but also from the parents and the rest
of the community. Additionally, the geography teachers could collaborate with teachers from other
subject departments in teaching some of the themes and in conducting fieldwork because EE and ESD
require an interdisciplinary approach (UNESCO 1978; 2004). In the whole school approach, the school
can be organised in such way that it can accommodate the teaching and learning of EE and ESD by
providing more class time through flexible timetables. The whole school approach is in line with
current thinking (complexity theory) that the implementation of educational change is likely to be more
successful where each school is viewed as a complex system consisting of interacting elements (Hoban
2002; Reddy 2011).
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To improve the capacity of the teachers to implement EE and ESD, training and support are essential.
There is need for EE and ESD to be integrated into pre-service teacher training programmes.
Additionally, on-going professional development (INSET) should be carried out in order to provide
support with the implementation of curriculum innovations such as environmental concerns infused in
the geography NCS. The curriculum advisers need to be incorporated into the training programmes
because the teachers greatly rely on them for guidance and support in making sense of and
implementing EE and ESD integrated in the curriculum, as revealed in this study. Training and support
help to enhance the teachers’ role of change agents in the implementation of curriculum innovations as
observed by Fullan (1991; 1993).
It is high time that the professionalism of teachers was restored in order to counter the recent deskilling
that has taken place in the teaching profession. This will enable the use of participatory, bottom-up
approaches in curriculum design to be successful. The teachers are likely to gain skills and therefore
implement curricula more successfully. In this study some teacher participants showed that given the
platform, they can be effective change agents. For example, one teacher participant is an animal rights
activist when he is not in school and another participant cleaned a river near her school with a group of
learners.
EE and ESD need to be integrated into assessment programmes as suggested by Clacherty (1995) and
Tilbury (1997). According to Tilbury (1997), each of the four components of education for
sustainability infused into school geography such as knowledge of environment and development
problems, critical thinking skills, environmental values and attitudes and environmental action can be
assessed using a range of techniques. Tilbury (1997) suggests the testing of environmental knowledge
through the traditional written exam and process-oriented forms of assessment for critical thinking
skills. Observation, recording and learner diaries can be used to evaluate changes in attitudes and
values. Lastly, involvement and action can be assessed through observation. Integrating EE and ESD in
the school assessment programme can help to ensure that teachers do not use the excuse of teaching for
examinations to exclude EE and ESD from the teaching and learning programmes.
7.2.2.2 Implications on future research
First, I recommend that action research that integrates teachers as co-researchers needs be used to assist
the teachers to design issues-based teaching and learning programmes that partially focus on local
environmental problems (see Reddy 2000; Wilmot & Norton 2004). This would go a long way towards
training the teachers to use enquiry learning including fieldwork. Additionally, it can help the
geography teachers to move away from the notion that fieldwork must always involve long distance
excursions.
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Second, this research can be replicated with a sample of younger teachers, for example with less than
five years teaching service, to find out how their perspectives on EE and ESD and practice of enquiry
learning differ from the sample of older teachers in this study. The differences could provide an
indication of the extent to which the University Faculties of Education in South Africa have
transformed their training programmes to prepare students to teach environmental concerns integrated
in the school curricula.
7.3 REFLECTIONS
In this section I first outline the difficulty of accessing some schools. I use letters of the alphabet to
refer to the schools so as to distinguish them from the sample schools where fieldwork was eventually
conducted. The inclusion of a school in the sample depended to a large extent on the willingness of the
school principals to accommodate the research project. I also describe my research experience, my
personal background and what I perceive to be my influence on the research process.
7.3.1 Access to schools
The first attempt to access schools was made in the middle of February in 2010. Altogether I contacted
14 schools, but I got permission from the principals of five schools. Initial phoning to the schools did
not bring any positive results. The heads of schools asked me to communicate in writing. I then emailed
three schools (Schools A, B and C) in the vicinity of Stellenbosch University but the emails were not
answered. School D could not accommodate my research project. It turned out that this school was
using the services of a relief teacher because the geography teacher was on leave. I also tried to use
known contacts to access the schools. The deputy principal of School E had promised to assist me with
access to his school, but later he did not cooperate. Similarly, another teacher, a known contact, did not
respond to numerous attempts to communicate with her either by phone or emails despite the fact that
she had promised to assist me with access to School F where she is stationed. Attempts to communicate
with the principal of the same school also failed. The telephone was initially out of order and when I
eventually got through to the school, the school principal was either in a meeting or out of school. I did
not manage to communicate my request to the principal of School F.
I contacted the Western Cape Education Department early in February 2010 and only received a
positive response towards the end of July in the form of a letter of authorization (see Appendix A:2).
The letter of authorization made access to the schools much easier because the school principals
demanded this letter before issuing letters of consent.
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In the case of School G, I phoned a couple of times but could not get a chance to speak to the principal.
He was either in a meeting or was out of school. I then faxed the required documents which included
the authorization letter from the Western Cape Education Department but when I phoned later, the
principal claimed that he had not received the documents. I then re-sent the documents to the secretary.
A follow up visit to the school did not yield any positive results because the principal was not in school.
This principal did not respond to my request to do fieldwork at this school. In School H, I was told that
the school could not accommodate any postgraduate students because it already had undergraduate
students on teaching practice. I made a number of calls to School I, before I could get hold of the school
principal. At the principal’s request, I faxed the required documents to him but a follow up conversation
showed that the principal was unwilling to accommodate my research project. He responded that he was
still considering my request but he eventually did not respond. Similarly, the response of the principal
in School J was negative. This principal seems to have a negative attitude towards school geography.
He pointed out that the geography subject is in the process of being phased out at FET level in his
school. An examination of the Western Cape Education Department schools database
(http://wcedemis.pgwc.gov.za/wced/findaschool.html) showed that the Humanities and Social science
as well as Arts and Culture subjects are very unpopular in this school when compared to Mathematics,
Sciences, Business and Technical subjects at FET level (Western Cape Education Department 2010).
This is reminiscent of the status of geography in School 2 (see section 5.1.1). Both schools are former
model C schools.
The problem of access to schools was exacerbated by the fact that I am a foreign student who cannot
speak Afrikaans and several schools in some districts of the Western Cape use Afrikaans as a medium
of instruction. Considering that the data collection exercise required me to observe lessons, this exercise
would not have been possible in the Afrikaans medium schools. A compromise was to work with
parallel medium schools where I could observe English medium classes.
7.3.2 Personal background
I do not have previous experience in using qualitative research methods. Furthermore, I am still
engaged in an ongoing struggle to reorient my worldview from that of believer in the existence of
absolute truth to an appreciation of relativist ontology that characterizes alternative paradigms or post-
paradigmatic thinking. Lack of experience in qualitative research can be attributed to my academic and
professional background. I received colonial education characterized by rote learning of the geography
of the Britain and the British Commonwealth member countries in an examination-oriented school
system. Additionally, I have a long service as a secondary school geography teacher, using didactic
approaches because of my training within the behaviouralist schools of thought. My training and
socialisation in the teaching profession instilled an objectivist view of knowledge.
230
My journey to PhD involved studying academic geography from under-graduate to Masters level
underpinned by the positivist epistemology. Since the time I embarked on this project in 2009, my
journey has involved not only personal but also intellectual growth. This included learning to do
qualitative research for first time and learning about EE and ESD and the challenges of implementing it
in high schools through geography education. I also got the opportunity to learn about South Africa’s
OBE system and the challenges experienced by secondary school teachers in implementing it. Through
my interaction with the teacher participants and engagement with the geography NCS document, I was
exposed to more progressive pedagogical approaches. Furthermore, I learned to maintain a journal for
the first time, although I struggled with the traditional, cultural belief that one’s thoughts are private and
should not be revealed through writing them down.
7.3.3 Methodological reflections
I conducted fieldwork in five schools where I spent one week in each of them. However, my fieldwork
was seriously disrupted in August 2010 by the prolonged public service strike that lasted for about three
weeks. Of the five selected schools, two former black schools (Schools 4 and 5) were hardest hit by the
strike because the schools closed temporarily as a result of the absence of the teachers. Two other
schools, (School 1 and 3), experienced minor disruptions and the fifth one (School 2), a former Model
C school was not affected by the strike. I had to reschedule the fieldwork for the two township schools
(Schools 4 and 5). One of the schools (School 1) which I had visited for four days was invaded on the
fifth day by some members of one of the teacher unions who occupied the school grounds and picketed
inside the school premises. I was forced to leave the school immediately because no teaching and
learning could take place under those conditions as a result of intimidation tactics perpetrated by the
union members. I resumed my visits during the following week when the situation returned to normal.
In the field I experienced what Walford (1991: 1) meant when he observed that the “careful, objective,
step-by-step model of the research process is actually a fraud.” There were a few hiccups in the
document analysis process because some teachers did not give me their lesson plans for the lessons
which I had observed. One referred me to the head of department and the other one claimed that lesson
plans had been discontinued by the department of education. Additionally, the schools do not have
detailed schemes of work. They use work schedules and pace setters prepared for them by the Western
Cape Education Department. These consist of a list of topics in the form of rearranged syllabuses.
Lesson observation was generally problematic except in School 2. In School 1, I observed only one
lesson because there were organizational issues at the beginning of the week and then on Friday the
school was interrupted by the forced strike mentioned above. In School 3, I again observed only one
lesson because of organizational issues pertaining to the class which I was supposed to observe. In
231
School 4, I observed only two lessons because the teacher was so late in reporting to the other lessons
that I decided to leave the classroom. In school 5 only two lessons could be observed due to the fact that
the school programme had already been disrupted by the strike.
The interview process yielded some data but I had to cut the number of interviews to one only per
teacher due to the fact that they have a very busy teaching schedule. Initially I had planned to conduct at
least four interviews per teacher. I was thus forced to make a compromise as noted by Walford (1991)
because of unforeseen circumstances. I also realized that in order to get a better picture of the
implementation of EE and ESD, I should interview not only the Geography HODs and ordinary
geography teachers but also the school principals in order to validate the data. In one of the schools, the
HOD is a history specialist without any training in geography education. I therefore interviewed the
geography subject head instead. Additionally, I interviewed the principals of four schools because of
their accessibility. From the time when I first contacted them, they personally communicated with me
and showed interest in my research. My experience at the fifth school was that the principal
communicated with me through his secretary and I did not see him. It appeared as if he was not as
accessible as the other four principals. The documentation that I required from him was provided by the
school secretary on his behalf whereas in the other four schools either the principal or the deputy
principal provided me with the documentation that I required in the form of a letter of consent.
The data collection exercise was also affected by the language factor. Being an international student, I
cannot speak, read or write some of the local languages such as Afrikaans and Xhosa which are mainly
used in the Western Cape. Additionally, being a foreigner and not conversant with the local languages
denied me an insider (emic) perspective of the South African secondary school. Babbie & Mouton
(2001: 271) observe that “differences in language, race, culture, beliefs, etc all introduce potential
barriers between the researcher and the research participants.” My choice of schools was therefore
limited to those with parallel or dual medium of instruction. In these schools both Afrikaans and
English or Xhosa and English are used. A significant number of schools use Afrikaans only as a
medium of instruction and so my access to these schools was prevented by the language factor.
Although information on the internet indicates that the former black schools use English as a medium of
instruction, my experience in one former black school was that the teachers use both the home language
Xhosa and English to instruct the learners. The language factor also negatively influenced the
interviews. I felt that some of the interviewee’s responses were restricted by the language factor. In
some cases I felt that some of the interviewees did no answer the question that was asked. It was a bit of
a challenge to get a relevant answer in a few cases even where I tried to provide guidance. This problem
was alleviated by engaging in a verification exercise where I revisited the schools in 2011 in order to
seek clarification of the interview data which was not clear. An ideal solution could probably have been
232
to use an interpreter so as to provide some of the interviewees with an opportunity to use a language
that they were more comfortable with.
7.3.4 Limitations
A major limitation of the research process is that the observation method was rather unsuccessful.
Although I had planned to observe at least 20 lessons in total for 5 teacher participants, I observed 9
lessons only in total due to issues explained above in Section 7.3.3. Another limitation was the lack of
cooperation of some of the teacher participants. In spite of requests for lesson plans and learners’
written assignments and projects, I did not get any samples of these documents from the teacher
participants. Furthermore, because most of the teacher participants in this study have a long teaching
service which varies from 15 to 35 years, their perspectives and understandings of EE and ESD
implemented through the geography NCS as well as classroom practice might differ from that of a
sample of recently qualified, younger teachers for example with less than 5 years teaching service.
However, using the data obtained through semi-structured interviews, biographic questionnaires,
limited observation and document analysis, I was able to obtain credible stories of how EE and ESD are
being implemented through the geography curriculum at FET level.
7.3.5 My influence on the research process
I felt that my position as a PhD student was rather intimidating to some of the teacher participants. It
appeared as if they regarded me as a highly educated person who could possibly expose their short-
comings. As a result, most of the participants did not cooperate with sharing their learners’ written
assignments and other documents. A few participants appeared to re-live their experiences as novice
teachers in the past, being harshly criticised by school inspectors. I made an effort to calm them by
explaining that I had not come to evaluate them, but to share their day to day experiences in teaching
geography. Most of the participants eventually relaxed as we continued working together. Additionally,
two teacher participants exaggerated their contributions to the improvement of the school’s
sustainability initiatives so as to create a positive image. The data verification exercise conducted
during the second visit in 2011 helped to improve the validity of the data. Conversations with the
principals and one other member of staff in one of the sample schools helped to validate data and so I
discarded some of the exaggerated accounts. Initially, I had some difficulties in conducting interviews
due to inexperience. The main difficulty was related to sticking to the time agreed on but this issue was
eventually resolved.
233
7.4 CLOSING REMARKS
A lot of progress has been made at policy level in re-orienting geography education at FET level in
South Africa towards the teaching of EE and ESD during the United Nations DESD. This is illustrated
by the integration of the environmental and social justice principles as well as the sustainable
development concept in the geography NCS document. Despite the enabling policy framework, this
research has shown that the implementation of EE and ESD through the geography NCS is not likely to
be successful because of a number of barriers that have been highlighted. There are common barriers
that are likely to hinder the implementation of EE and ESD regardless of school context. These include
lack of training and support, the behaviouralist education and training background of the older teachers
and the school organizational elements that include shortage of time and an examination-oriented
school system. As a result of the difficulties experienced by the teachers in making sense of the nature
of EE and ESD and in using prescribed pedagogical approaches such as enquiry learning, they are likely
to continue using didactic, teacher-centred approaches to transmit environmental knowledge. In such a
scenario, the gap between the intended and the enacted curriculum will continue to be a major concern.
The contribution of this study is in two fields: geography education research and in the broader field of
curriculum innovation and implementation research.
The purpose of this study was to stimulate conversations concerning the need for more effective
teaching and learning of EE and ESD through the geography curriculum at FET level in order to
address the deteriorating state of the global environment. Other studies which will follow could produce
a model of guidelines for the implementation of EE and ESD through the geography curriculum. The
study highlights the need for teachers to ask themselves fundamental questions regarding “why” school
geography is being taught and to reflect on the purpose of geography education at FET level instead of
only focusing on content and pedagogical approaches. The geography NCS (Department of Education
2003b) clearly articulates that one of the main goals of teaching geography at FET level is to impart
knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to live more sustainably. This goal could be achieved
by making geography a more effective vehicle for teaching EE and ESD.
Through the issues-based approach, the teachers can use the local environment as a teaching and
learning resource for the geography lessons. In some of the geography lessons, the teachers could assist
the learners to use the enquiry approach to investigate local issues, to examine and evaluate possible
solutions to local environmental problems illustrated in the description of the context of Schools 1, 3, 4
and 5 (see Section 5.1.1). These problems include a deteriorating biophysical environment characterised
by an increase in uncollected garbage and water pollution. Such problems have been exacerbated by
poor service delivery in the Townships. Social problems affecting local communities include inequality,
worsening poverty, unemployment, crime, teenage pregnancy, drug addiction and HIV/AIDS.
234
From the perspective of curriculum innovation and implementation research, the study explains the
problematic policy-practice gap in the implementation of EE and ESD. This study sheds light on and
validates other studies that have been conducted in the past on barriers that affect the implementation of
EE and ESD internationally. Furthermore, it highlights the need to address teacher attributes and
contextual factors so as to enhance the teacher’s role of a change agent in the policy implementation
process. The study revealed the following teacher attributes:
 The teacher participants have not been trained to teach EE and ESD.
 They have conceptual difficulties regarding the meaning of EE, SD, ESD and the notion of
integrated geography.
 They do not adequately focus on and reflect on the goals of teaching geography.
 Some of them do not engage sufficiently with the curriculum document in order to translate the
subject knowledge into pedagogical content knowledge. Additionally, some of the teacher
participants work as technicians and use supplementary documents supplied by the Western Cape
Education Department in place of the geography NCS to implement the geography curriculum.
 They have difficulties in making sense of and implementing the enquiry-based approach including
fieldwork, the issues-based approach and imparting critical thinking skills.
 Teacher-directed and transmissive pedagogical approaches were evident. These are inappropriate
for implementing EE and ESD through the geography curriculum.
Additionally, the study reveals a number of contextual factors which act as barriers to the
implementation of EE and ESD in the sample schools. Most of the sample schools experience a
shortage of resources, especially finance to conduct fieldwork activities. Schools are organized in such
a way that EE and ESD are marginalised because of rigid time tables and the need to teach for
examinations. Unless these and other contextual factors are addressed, the implementation of EE and
ESD through the geography curriculum will not be successful.
The insights provided by this study will be invaluable in the conceptualisation of professional
development programmes aimed at the following:
 addressing the teacher attributes and contextual factors revealed by the study;
 improving the teachers’ classroom practice in geography education; and,
 better implementation of EE and ESD through the geography curriculum.
Finally, the contested nature of sustainable development and education for sustainable development can
act as a barrier to the successful implementation of ESD in the school context. Academics are therefore
urged to provide contributions that will lead to conceptual clarity of the above terms instead of further
235
obscuring the meaning (see also Section 1.1.2). There is need engage with the EE, SD and ESD
concepts so as to clarify them in the South African school context. This will help to address the
conceptual difficulties displayed by the teacher participants in this study.
236
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APPENDIX A:1 ETHICAL CLEARANCE

269
APPENDIX A:2 WCED AUTHORISATION LETTERS
Navrae
Dr A.T Wyngaard
Enquiries
IMibuzo
Telefoon
Telephone
021 467 9272
IFoni Wes-Kaap Onderwysdepartement
Faks
Fax
IFeksi Western Cape Education Department
Verwysing
Reference ISebe leMfundo leNtshona Koloni
20100716-0072
ISalathiso
Mrs Carolina Dube

2 Lobella Court
Stellenbosch
7602
Dear Mrs Carolina Dube
RESEARCH PROPOSAL: IMPLEMENTING EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

THE ROLE OF GEOGRAPHY IN SOUTH AFRICAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Your application to conduct the above-mentioned research in schools in the Western Cape has been
approved subject to the following conditions:
1. Principals, educators and learners are under no obligation to assist you in your investigation.
2. Principals, educators, learners and schools should not be identifiable in any way from the
results of the investigation.
3. You make all the arrangements concerning your investigation.
4. Educators’ programmes are not to be interrupted.
5. The Study is to be conducted from 1 April 2011 till 30 September 2011
6. No research can be conducted during the fourth term as schools are preparing and finalizing syllabi for
examinations (October to December).
7. Should you wish to extend the period of your survey, please contact Dr A.T Wyngaard at the
contact numbers above quoting the reference number.
8. A photocopy of this letter is submitted to the principal where the intended research is to be
conducted.
9. Your research will be limited to the list of schools as forwarded to the Western Cape
Education Department.
10. A brief summary of the content, findings and recommendations is provided to the Director:
Research Services.
11. The Department receives a copy of the completed report/dissertation/thesis addressed to:
The Director: Research Services
Western Cape Education Department
Private Bag X9114
CAPE TOWN
8000
Kind regards.
Signed: Audrey T Wyngaard
for: HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 11 April 2011
270
271
APPENDIX A:3 PROMOTER’S LETTER

272
APPENDIX A:4 CONSENT FORM
STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
IMPLEMENTING EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE ROLE OF

GEOGRAPHY IN SOUTH AFRICAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
You are asked to participate in a research study conducted by:

Carolina Dube – Bsc ZOU, Hons SU, Msc SU, from the Curriculum Studies Department,
Faculty of Education, Stellenbosch University.
The results will contribute to a PhD dissertation and publication in journal articles. You were selected
as a possible participant in this study because you teach geography at secondary school level (FET),
which is the focus of my study.
1. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The study is designed to establish how much Environmental Education (EE) / Education for
Sustainable Development (ESD) is infused in the geography NCS; whether teachers’ classroom
practice is oriented towards implementing EE / ESD; and, the barriers preventing the successful
implementation of EE / ESD.
2. PROCEDURES
If you volunteer to participate in this study, I would ask you to do the following things:
1. You will be asked to fill in a short questionnaire to provide details about yourself. Such details
will enhance my understanding of your classroom practice.
2. The researcher would like to attend four of your lessons and observe how you conduct them.
I will write field notes on what I observe. My motive is not criticism but to obtain information
on the orientation of classroom practice towards ESD. I will also be interested in examining
lesson plans, schemes of work and textbooks to determine to what extent EE / ESD have
been included.
3. You will be asked to participate in four interviews lasting not more than 30 minutes each to
enable the researcher to gain insight on your classroom practice. The interview will be a
follow up of the lesson observation at your school so that I can seek clarification on what was
observed. The interviews will be audio-taped so as to collect the data for interpretation and
analysis later.
3. POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
You might feel uncomfortable with my presence in your classroom but rest assured that it will be a
great learning experience for me. I would like to understand how and why the teachers operate the
way they do in the classroom. I am bound by the University regulations to keep all the information
which I will gather confidential.
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4. POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO SUBJECTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
There are potential benefits in participating in the research. You are likely to get exposure to new ideas. There
is an opportunity to reflect on your practice in the teaching of the geography subject.
My research is likely to contribute to increased knowledge on ESD and its incorporation in the school context.
Hopefully, learners might acquire not only knowledge and skills through better teaching of ESD in geography but
also positive values, attitudes and behaviour towards the environmental protection.
5. PAYMENT FOR PARTICIPATION
You will not receive payment for participating.
6. CONFIDENTIALITY
Any information that is obtained in connection with this study and that can be identified with you will
remain confidential and will be disclosed only with your permission or as required by law.
Confidentiality of the data obtained from each participant will be maintained by means of use of
pseudonyms when I refer to you in the dissertation or in journal articles. The name of your school will
not be disclosed.
The data will be kept in my private computer and in memory sticks. These will be located in a private
room which is not shared with other students. I am the only one who uses the computer and will
therefore ensure that the data will be safe. The interviews will be transcribed immediately. The
analysis of transcriptions and data obtained in the fieldwork will take place simultaneously as the
fieldwork is being done The development of a coding system will enable the data to be searched for
regularities and patterns as well as for topics covered by the collected data. In the dissertation some
direct quotations from the interview might be written but I will ask for permission from you to use the
quotations.
The information could be released to my promoter should the need arise but he is aware of the
University regulations concerning the protection of participant confidentiality. The information could
be released only if I experience problems in analyzing the data. There is nobody else to whom the
information could be released other than my promoter.
You have a right to review the tapes but we will have to negotiate on what you would like to be
edited. I will be the only one with access to the tapes. They will be erased as soon as the research
project is completed. The outputs of the research project will be a dissertation and journal articles.
7. PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
You can choose whether to be in this study or not. If you volunteer to be in this study, you may
withdraw at any time without consequences of any kind. You may also refuse to answer any
questions you don’t want to answer and still remain in the study. The investigator may withdraw you
from this research if circumstances arise which warrant doing so. Should I feel that your cooperation
is not adequate and compromises the data collection process, I will terminate your participation.
8. IDENTIFICATION OF INVESTIGATORS
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact myself,
Carolina Dube, PhD Student
Department of Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Education
Email: 14949288@sun.ac.za
Tel: 076 740 1706
274
Or my promoter Professor Chris Reddy - Departmental Chairperson

Department of Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Education
Email: cpsr@sun.ac.za
Tel: +27 21 808 2259
Office 4013, Fourth Floor
9. RIGHTS OF RESEARCH SUBJECTS
You may withdraw your consent at any time and discontinue participation without penalty. You are
not waiving any legal claims, rights or remedies because of your participation in this research study.
If you have questions regarding your rights as a research subject, contact Ms Maléne Fouché
[mfouche@sun.ac.za; 021 808 4622] at the Division for Research Development.
SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH SUBJECT OR LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE
The information above was described to [me/the subject/the participant] by [name of relevant
person] in [Afrikaans/English/Xhosa/other] and [I am/the subject is/the participant is] in command
of this language or it was satisfactorily translated to [me/him/her]. [I/the participant/the subject]
was given the opportunity to ask questions and these questions were answered to [my/his/her]
satisfaction.
[I hereby consent voluntarily to participate in this study/I hereby consent that the subject/participant
may participate in this study. ] I have been given a copy of this form.
________________________________________
Name of Subject/Participant
________________________________________
Name of Legal Representative (if applicable)
________________________________________ ______________
Signature of Subject/Participant or Legal Representative
Date
SIGNATURE OF INVESTIGATOR
I declare that I explained the information given in this document to __________________ [name of
the subject/participant] and/or [his/her] representative ____________________ [name of the
representative]. [He/she] was encouraged and given ample time to ask me any questions. This
conversation was conducted in [Afrikaans/*English/*Xhosa/*Other] and [no translator was used/this
conversation was translated into ___________ by _______________________].
________________________________________ ______________
Signature of Investigator Date

275
APPENDIX B:1 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR GEOGRAPHY TEACHERS
BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
1. Indicate your gender with an X in the correct Male Female
box
2. Indicate your age with an X in one of the boxes below

25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65+
3. Nationality (indicate in one of the boxes below with an X)

South African Other
State your country of origin if you are not a South African
4. For how long have you served as a teacher at secondary school level?
< 1 year 1-5 years 6-10 years 11-15 years 16-20 years 21 or more years
5. Have you taught at primary school level? YES NO
6. If your answer to the above question is YES, state the number of years in the
box.
7. Have you served as a lecturer at a college or university? YES NO
8. If your answer to the above question is YES, state the number of years in the
next box.
9. Highest level of academic education (indicate with an X in the correct box below)
Matriculation (Grade 12 / Std 10)
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First Degree
Honours Degree
Masters Degree
Other
If you selected other above state the qualification here
10. What is the highest level at which you studied geography?
11. Professional qualifications (indicate with an X in the correct box below)

PGCE
Bachelor of education
Honours Degree in education
Masters in education
Other
If you selected other above state the qualification here
12. Do you think you were adequately trained to teach geography at (FET) YES NO
level
If your answer above is YES, explain why you say so.
Did the geography method modules and lectures include Environmental YES NO
Education (EE) / Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within the
geography subject?
If your answer to question 12 is NO, what action have you taken to improve your content
knowledge of the subject and teaching methods?
277
13. What do you think of the infusion of EE / ESD in the geography National Curriculum
Statement? Select one of the answers below to answer the question
a. There are a lot of opportunities to teach EE / ESD
b. There are a few opportunities to teach EE / ESD
c. There are no opportunities to teach EE / ESD
d. I have never heard about EE / ESD
14. Write down your own suggestions on how the teaching of EE / ESD in geography can be
improved?
278
Thank you for your co-operation

C Dube Bsc ZOU, Hons SU, Msc SU
PhD Student
Stellenbosch University
Tel +27 76 740 1706
279
APPENDIX B:2 INTERVIEW GUIDE 1 FOR TEACHERS
1. Lesson Planning
a. Do you include teaching of Environmental Education / Education for Sustainable
development in the lesson objectives?
b. Is there evidence of learner-centred approaches to teaching in your lesson plans?
2. Is your classroom arrangement conducive to group work?
3. Organisation of Content:
a. Do your lessons focus on a problem, namely, issue-based approach?
b. How far do you include the study of the local environment in the content?
4. Methodology: How does the teacher use the following approaches to encourage active
learning?
a. Group work;
b. Class discussions and debates on environmental problems;
c. Fieldwork;
d. Role play;
e. Learners doing research, collecting data and reporting their findings – enquiry
learning;
f. Other relevant approaches.
5. How does the teacher manage the class to encourage participation of most of the learners?
6. To what extent are learners involved with local issues / problems? Is there evidence of
action that pupils have taken towards resolving issues in the local environment?
7. How does the teacher encourage the development of critical thinking skills during the
lessons?
8. How did the coming of OBE affect your classroom practice in the geography subject?
280
APPENDIX B:3 INTERVIEW GUIDE 2 FOR TEACHERS
1. What is your understanding of the following:

a. Environmental education?
b. Sustainable development?
c. Education for sustainable development
2. Do you think you have been successful in the teaching of positive values, attitudes and
behaviour towards the environment?
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APPENDIX B:4 INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR SCHOOL PRINCIPALS
1. Please give a brief history of the school.
2. Which areas does the school draw pupils from?
3. Please describe the school facilities that are available for teaching and learning generally.
4. What are the current conditions that affect teaching and learning
a. positively?
b. negatively?
5. What are your comments on environmental education activities in the school?

282
APPENDIX B:5 SAMPLE TRANSCRIPT – INTERVIEW RESPONSES FROM

HILTON
1. Lesson plan
a) Is the teaching of Environmental Education / Education for Sustainable
Development included in the lesson objectives
If you look at the lesson plan, the lesson plan doesn’t make actually provision for objectives.
But what I do is I have got my lessons on PowerPoint right, and so as part of the objectives
and key questions I include sustainable development. So sustainable development is a theme
that basically runs throughout all the lessons that you do when you cover modules like people
and their needs and sustainable development. So that topic of sustainable development is
constantly going to come out, you know, in the unraveling of the information. Environmental
education – if one looks at the grade 11 syllabus, everything is basically about the
environment, so it’s basically about changing the attitudes and the views of people about the
environment through sustainable development. The topics that we dealt with like sustainable
development and the people and their needs and even when we looked at water masses in
Africa, all those themes eventually comes down to things like how can we protect and
conserve the environment. So in all of it, you know, when you are busy with teaching that is
one central golden thread that is going to go straight through, you know, the issue of
sustainable development and the issue about environmental education and changing people’s
attitudes and views and values about the environment. So I would say ja the lesson plans do
makes provision for that because it allows you to set out your key questions and you got on
your lesson plan also strategy, how you are going to develop each of the key questions during
the lesson.
b) Is there evidence of learner-centred approaches to teaching in the lesson plan?

The learner-centred approach is where the educator becomes the facilitator and the teaching
and learning is focused on the learner. So in other words you as a facilitator is going to make
your lessons interactive where you get response and feedback from the learners. I think to a
large extent I do succeed in that because I try and steer away from the old paradigm of
teacher-centred education, you know, where teaching is a monologue. Through your
observation, I think you, would have seen maybe that there is always maybe not from all the
learners but from most of the learners in the class there is always interaction between myself
and them. The emphasis is on the learner and as an educator I would try and stimulate them
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as far as humanly possible to participate and discover the knowledge themselves. Some
lessons it works very well but in other lessons it does not always work so well. It also
depends on the content and the knowledge that you are dealing with where you can maybe
have a fully blown learner-centred approach and sometimes it’s also necessary maybe to just
go back to the old teaching style where you have to sometimes do scaffolding because
sometimes there is a lack of foundational knowledge about certain topics. So you have to go
and sometimes build up the foundation before you go to the learner-centred approach. But I
think at this school we do that very well, I would say.
2. Is classroom arrangement conducive to group work?
3. Organization of content
a) Does the lesson focus on a problem, namely, issue-based approach?

I would say we do use it. We do use the issue-centred approach in some of the classes. You
can’t always use that approach, the issue-centred approach. It’s once again it boils down to, I
mean, there various techniques and approaches on can use, you know, to allow learners to
discover the knowledge because your ultimate goal is you want to make a learner-centred
classroom, where the emphasis and the focus is on the learner. If one used the issue-based
approach, that is only one method, you know, option that one can use. There is other ways
also where you can, for example, use various types of data. You can use various types of
visual stimuli, you know, to get your learners engaged into a particular topic. So you don’t
always have to use the issue-based. But in some cases we will do that. You know, will have
an issue-based approach where we give learners like a case study or case studies and in these
case studies, for example, there will be a problem and they will become aware of the problem
somewhere in the world or somewhere in Africa. We will then have discussions on how to
address the problem that was brought to their attention through the case study. We looked at
problems, for example, we did a case study on the Nile Delta when we dealt with water
masses, the destruction of the Nile Delta, how the Nile Delta is actually shrinking and what
the causes of that are. So that problem was presented to them. Other problems that we dealt
when we looked at development and sustainability was the uneven economic development in
South Africa where I showed them a map and we looked at how uneven, you know, how
development takes place in South Africa in four core centres and then we discussed the
problem and then we looked at strategies how will, for example GEAR, and how does the
284
development of transport corridors and the development of growth poles, how will that assist
to create more even economic development. So in many cases we had that problem solving
approach, so we did definitely attend to that as well.
b) Is the study of the local environment included in the content?

Ja we didn’t specifically have a project about the local environment but we had a talk about,
specifically with the Grade 11s about Think Globally and Act Locally. So we spoke about,
you know, how important it is to be aware of what you do locally and it will have not only
implications within your local area but also on a provincial and national scale and eventually
on a global scale. So we didn’t specifically do a field trip, you know. There are many things
that we can do, you know, we could have maybe cleaned the river around the school here but
unfortunately time constraints doesn’t allow us to do that. But one would have done
something in the form of a project, maybe have something like recycling, you know, or hostel
learners to bring recyclable waste to the school, and stuff like that, so that we can make
learners aware of the fact that it is important that we want to see a change in their behaviour,
a change in their attitude towards the environment. Concerning the talk – another teacher and
I conducted it. It was a lesson about the way we relate to our resources and the way we use
our resources. In the process that we use our resources we cause a lot of problems, you know,
with the utilization of resources, and so we are still further going to look at more examples
when we go to energy use and management, you know, how we use our energy resources
unwisely leads to some pollution, global warming and all that stuff. So what they need to
understand there is the importance that our contribution, you know, to the way we use our
energy resources, for example, doesn’t only have local implications but it also has global
implications. It also has implications for the continent. Now a nice example – I will tell you
how we got to that is when we looked at water masses, we spoke about rivers. You will find
that many rivers are used by different nations. If you take the Nile river, for example, and you
take the Zaire river, is used by various nations so what the one nation does to the water
quality is not only going to affect that nation but also the nation further downstream that also
is depended on that particular resource. That’s where it comes and what you do here locally
will have an impact, you understand, on other people as well that live in other parts of the
world, other regions or other areas.
285
4. Methodology: How does the teacher use the following approaches to encourage active
learning?
a) Groupwork
I use a various methods. I’ve got simulations, group works, we’ve got role plays, we’ve got
debates and we’ve got class discussions. I’ve been using them at the beginning of the term
where we had an example of groupwork. What we did was we had case studies, text or
articles which they had to go and read and then they had to identify the problem with the use
of resources, and then each group had to come in front and do a small little presentation and
the other groups were allowed to react on that and from there were developed a debate like a
central theme. You know, for example, is it right, you know, to allow poaching to take place?
Or is it right that rhino horns, for example, should be used as an aphrodisiac? We had a
debate, we had a group for and a group against and we had a debate about it.
Simulations – if you go to water masses, you can actually bring in there a lot of climatology
if you look at the topic about water masses and stuff so you can bring in climatology in that
and you can actually build it in there because it deals with, for example, the ocean as a source
of moisture and the role of the ocean in climate so there one can actually integrate examples
of simulations into your teaching strategy where I explain to the learners about land and sea
breezes. In groups they had to make an active PowerPoint presentation to show the
circulation, you know, of air from the sea to the land and then from the land to the sea.
b) Class discussions and debates on environmental problems
c) Fieldwork
d) Role play
e) Learners doing research, collecting data and reporting their findings – enquiry learning
eg projects
Ja at the moment, you know, some of the teaching strategies like enquiry learning is a very
time consuming process, and one has a lot to cover, you know, in the syllabus, you know. So
during the enquiry learning it would be very difficult to implement due to fact that one has to
cover a huge amount of work. So I have not used enquiry in the sense that I would want to
use it, you understand. But I guess, we took the learners on an excursion and they had to go
and collect information, you understand and at the end of the day they had to put this
information into a report about hydro-electricity and stuff like that. Qt so you hardly use
fieldwork? – Not fieldwork in the sense that fieldwork should be done.
286
f) Other relevant approaches
5. How does the teacher manage the class to encourage participation of most of the learners?
6. Local issues
a) To what extent are learners involved with local issues / problems?
b) Is there evidence of action that pupils have taken towards resolving issues in the
local environment?
I don’t think we’ve been involved in any way as far as maybe clean up operations are and
things like that. But I don’t think our school or the geography class has been in any sense
involved in any local issues, not in geography but in the other subject that I am involved in
like in Life Orientation, we had a project where we had sort of like a community outreach.
Learners were divided into groups of five and they had to go and identify an issue in the local
community and they actually had to go there and spend six hours, for example at the hospital
or at the municipality. Some of the learners went to farms where they worked with
underprivileged children in projects like rugby or sport development with them but not in
geography. What is the problem as to why you don’t involve yourselves in action, acting on
problems? I think it’s just a matter of time. You see in the afternoons we have sports training.
We are very busy at this school, you understand, so we have sport and during class time it
would be very difficult to get, lets say, 25 or 30 learners involved in an activity, local activity.
You can’t take the learners away from school because what happens to your other classes and
what happens to their other classes that they must attend. After school in most cases it’s very
difficult because you are going to exclude a lot of learners because they are involved in a lot
of sport, you see, after school and we have sport practice and training and all that kind of
staff. On weekends it’s also difficult because Saturdays we play most of our sport, we play
rugby and on Fridays we play water polo, you know, and cricket and stuff like that.
7. How does the teacher encourage the development of critical thinking skills during the
lesson?
I think if you have observed the learners you would notice that the way they sometimes
respond to things that I say is actually an indication that they are analyzing and they are
thinking critically sometimes about some of the information. I think to a large extent also we
have succeeded in the geography class to inculcate sort of critical thinking where learners
287
analyse and interpret and think objectively about things, you know. I think I see it everyday
in the class the way learners, when they respond to certain things they will challenge you
sometimes on some of the things that you say. How do you think you achieved that, you
know, - development of critical thinking? Let me think now. Look it’s not only me as an
educator on my own but I think its probably also things that happen at home and because the
learners also have a lot of exposure to, you know, they have a lot of exposure to the internet. I
think they are quite advantaged in most instances. The critical thinking, I’m just a
contributor. I am not the only person that I would say has brought about critical thinking. It’s
not everybody also in the class that thinks critically. It is some of the stronger learners that
will look at things critically and will evaluate what you say. So you can’t identify your
contribution as such? Yes it is difficult to identify my contribution.
8. How has the coming of OBE influenced the teaching of geography

To a large extent the teaching and the learning is virtually the same because geography has
always been a subject that’s been based on data response. It’s always been a subject that you
use, you know, you try and bring the real world into the classroom and through that you try to
stimulate the learner. You can show the learner a landform and you can show the learner a lot
of stuff about the landform. How does this landform differ from the other one? So there has
always been the interactive kind of relationship between educator and learner in the
geography and so to me it wasn’t, how can I say, a 90° turn that I had to make. On the other
hand the administration was a little bit different, with portfolios and learner portfolio,
educator portfolio and the way you assess, you know. Those things were all new. So that part
of outcomes-based education had a significant impact, severe impact, you know, the different
kinds of assessment, formative and normative and all those kinds of things. But the teaching
as such to me wasn’t a huge, can I say, different experience because geography has always
been that subject, you know, - it allows you as a subject, most of the knowledge, most of the
content allows you to have sort of learner-centred approach. I believe that is in fact the best
way to teach geography because, you understand, I don’t think you can teach geography by
standing in front and you are busy, say, with stream piracy but you don’t show the learners a
diagram or sketch.
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RESPONSES ON THE NATURE OF EE/ESD

1. What is your understanding of environmental education?
Environmental education is teaching and learning about the biodiversity and how it needs to
be managed but obviously the natural environment is the source that provides us with natural
resources, resources that we need to provide for ourselves. Obviously into that with
environmental education, you can’t separate environmental education from sustainable
development because the healthiness of the environment is going to determine whether you
will be able to sustain yourself and develop and grow.
2. What is your understanding of sustainable development?

I would say these things should be integrated, environmental education and sustainable
development. You can’t separate the two entities. If you want sustainable development you
need to take care of the environment, those two things should be integrated. You can’t treat
them as separate entities.
3. What is your understanding of Education for sustainable development

Education for sustainable development is necessary, you understand, because the problem
that we have with development is that you always have the risk when you develop that you
exhaust and deplete and exploit your resources. It’s necessary that we have an environmental
awareness, you know, about the way we use our sources so that we can modify our behaviour
so that we develop at a sustained rate, that we always have resources or alternatives at our
disposal to keep on developing. But the important thing that I want to stress there about
education for sustainable development is that it should not only benefit once again the rich,
you understand. Sustainable development can achieve the objective of getting a more even
distribution, you know, of economic growth and economic wealth and stuff like that so that
poverty in the process can be reduced. So the whole issue of poverty should also, in my
understanding, be addressed in education for sustainable development or more emphasis on
that.
4. Do you think you have been successful in the teaching of positive values, attitudes and
behaviour towards the environment?
Ja I hope so. One would want to see the learners modify their behaviour in the long term, you
know. One would want to see that they modify their behaviour, they modify their lifestyles at
289
home. You know, small little things like saving electricity, recycling, trying to conserve
animal species in their garden or whatever, small little things. Unfortunately I’ve got no way
to test. The only thing is that when they write an exam and I ask them questions, doesn’t
mean they have inculcated that environmental education and sustainable development into
their hearts. It will just be a matter of I have to answer or I give you the answer on a piece of
paper or does it have any value for them in terms of changing their lifestyle.
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APPENDIX B:6 LESSON OBSERVATION NOTES
1. IAN – School 1
This was a 45 minute lesson taught to 36 pupils in the Grade 10 English medium class. The
lesson topic was on “Population movements: Migration”. Only one lesson was observed.
Description of method of teaching

The teacher used a laptop and overhead projector to show slides with notes on migration
concepts and causes of migration such as push and pull factors. The lesson focused on
general concepts, with local examples mentioned occasionally. The teacher used a
transmissive teaching style incorporating the question and answer method. The lesson was
teacher-centred because most of the information was provided by the teacher and he talked
much more than the pupils. No other resource materials were used other than a laptop,
overhead projector and photocopied notes. The pupils did not use textbooks. The classroom
arrangement was conducive to group work.
Description of pupil activity

Most of the pupils were copying notes from the slides during the lesson. A few pupils
responded to the questions that were asked. The answers from the pupils showed that they
were very familiar with migration processes. There was, therefore, no need for the teacher to
talk much more than the pupils. At the end of the lesson, the pupils were given photocopied,
illustrated notes and instructed to elaborate on the push and pull factors as part of their
homework.
These notes could have been used more effectively during the lesson to set up group work
activities. Although the pupils sat in groups of four, the teacher did not give them any
activities that required them to work in groups.
Inclusion of EE/ESD in the lesson

EE/ESD was not included in the notes that were displayed in the slides. The teacher told the
pupils that it is important to deal with environmental education in geography but did not
incorporate it in the lesson on migration. The teacher then said:
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We must include EE in geography for example the camps that were created as a result
of the xenophobic attacks in 2008 and the problems associated with the creation of
such camps.
The issue of xenophobic attacks on foreigners was just mentioned in passing. The teacher
also referred to environmental problems out of context. He pointed out in the middle of the
lesson on migration that he often advises the pupils to save energy and water: that he has
often emphasised to the pupils that it is important to protect the environment through
carefully using electricity and water at home. This interruption of the lesson on “Migration”
was meant for me to hear that he includes environmental education in the lessons.
The issue of xenophobic attacks on foreigners in 2008 was relevant but could have been used
more effectively to teach EE/ESD. Additionally, the lesson is not likely to have promoted the
development of critical thinking skills as no opportunities were provided to reflect on issues
and to consider attitudes and values of decision-makers.
A case study of one of South Africa’s informal settlements could have been more effectively
used to illustrate the consequences of rural-urban migration. Such a case study could have
incorporated EE/ESD by showing environmental issues resulting from human-environment
interactions: the deteriorating condition of the biophysical environment, poverty, crime and
social (in)justice issues, poor service delivery, human rights issues, unemployment, conflicts
over limited resources and xenophobic attacks on foreigners etc.
2. HILTON – School 2
a. First lesson
lesson topic was on “Resource use and conservation”.

The teacher used a computer and overhead projector to present information on exploitation,
depletion, preservation and conservation of resources using PowerPoint slides. The
information was well illustrated and well researched. The teacher occasionally used the
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question and answer method. The teaching style was mainly transmissive. Far more
information had been compiled by the teacher than was provided in the school textbooks. The
teacher started the lesson by discussing answers to questions that had been assigned to the
pupils during the previous lesson. The structure of the lesson was guided by the key questions
provided in the next paragraph. Although the key questions could have promoted
opportunities for active learning through discussions and debates, the teacher presented the
information on the slides and lectured to the pupils most of the time. This didactic approach
is often used to efficiently transmit information in an examination-focused school system
(Stevenson 2007). However, at the end of the lesson the pupils were given key questions to
tackle for their homework in order to prepare for the next lesson.
The following key questions guided the lesson:

• What factors determine/influence the way people relate to resources?
• Why is there an increase in demand for resources in modern day times?
• Discuss the following ways of resource utilization:
o exploitation;
o depletion;
o preservation; and,
o conservation.
• Why does exploitation occur?
• What is meant by physical and economic exhaustion?
• Why is preservation of resources sometimes used as a management strategy?
• Why is conservation necessary?
• When is a resource extinct?
• What is resource management?

Pupils copied notes from the slides during the lesson. Only a few pupils answered the
questions that the teacher occasionally asked.

In a lesson on “Resource use and conservation”, EE/ESD can be incorporated without
difficulty. Some of the key ideas included by the teacher in the lesson were on:
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• how people relate to the environment;

• the impact of economic development on the level of resource use;
• the importance of environmental education
• environmental impact assessments;
• sustainable resource use; and,
• resource management.
EE/ESD was clearly incorporated in the lesson and the question of dealing with the influence
of attitudes and values in the exploitation and management of resources was handled very
well. The teacher is very passionate about education for sustainability as illustrated by his
awareness of current environmental issues in both the South African and the African context
in general.
b. Second lesson
lesson topic was on “Raw materials, opportunities and conflicts [in resource use]”.

The lesson started with a discussion of the answers to questions that had been assigned to the
pupils at the end of the previous lesson. The pupils had been asked to research on the answers
and bring them for discussion. The questions are provided below:
• What opportunities arise when a country in Africa has natural resources?
• Who benefits from these resources in LEDCs?
• Why and how do conflicts arise over the use of natural resources in Africa?
The teacher, as in the previous lesson, used a computer and overhead projector to present
information on PowerPoint slides. These notes elaborated on the answers that had been given
by the pupils at the beginning of the lesson. The lesson covered the problem of conflict over
resources in addition to opportunities presented by the availability of raw materials. In this
lesson there was greater amount of pupil activity than in the first lesson. The extract given
below shows how the teacher would integrate pupil and teacher activities in the lesson:
• Divide class into groups/pairs
• Assign a key question to investigate (8 minutes)
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• Show slide 3 to assign key questions

• Groups /pairs give feedback
• Teacher check views, intervenes, facilitates and supplements views.
• Learners take down notes.
The key questions that guided the lesson are provided below. The teacher planned to use
these key questions to stimulate pupil activities noted above.
• What opportunities arise when a country in Africa has natural resources?

• Who benefits from these resources in LEDC`s?
• Why and how do conflicts arise over the use of natural resources in Africa?
• What is a National Park?
• Why do we need National Parks in Africa?
• Why do we have conflicts over land-use in national parks?
• How should National Parks be managed?
However, the pupils seemed to be more interested in copying the teacher’s notes from the
slides than in contributing their own ideas during the lesson. The interest in the teacher’s
information is likely to be motivated by the need to acquire “better” information so that they
can be successful in the examinations.

As in the previous lesson, the pupils were copying notes from the slides during the lesson.
Only a few pupils answered the questions that he occasionally asked. Additionally, only a
few contributed meaningfully to the group work activities. At the end of the lesson, the pupils
were given key questions for homework on national parks in order to prepare for the next
lesson. The key questions are outlined below:
• What is a National Park?
• Why do we need National Parks in Africa?
• Why do we have conflicts over land-use in national parks?
• How should National Parks be managed?
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This was handled very well. However, the element of personal involvement of the pupils as
individuals or as groups, was missing, together with the need to reflect on their role and what
they can do as individuals to live more sustainably.
c. Third lesson
lesson topic was on “National Parks”.

As in the previous lessons, the teacher started with a discussion of the answers to the key
questions that had been assigned at the end of the previous lesson. He then used a computer
and overhead projector to present information on slides in order to elaborate on the pupils’
answers. The teacher covered the following key questions:
• What are national parks?
• Why are national parks necessary?
• Conflicts in national parks
• Management of national parks
Towards the end of the lesson, the teacher divided the class into groups and assigned them
tasks. An extract of part of the teacher’s lesson strategy is provided below:
• Divide class into pairs
• Assign a case study to each pair
• Pairs investigate source of conflict, nature of conflict, steps taken, views, opinions and
attitudes etc. (5 min)
• Pairs give feedback to rest of class

There was a discussion at the beginning but this only involved a few pupils. The other pupils
quietly copied notes from the slides into their books. The pupils participated in group work
towards the end of the lesson. As observed in the previous lesson, the pupils were more
interested in the teacher’s notes on the slides than in the tasks that had been assigned to them.
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The clarification of attitudes and value systems was done very well. This was however,
achieved through the lecture method or exposition where the teacher told the pupils how
attitudes and values influence exploitation and management of resources. However, the
teacher did not provide the pupils with opportunities for personal involvement and reflection
on their contribution to unsustainable resource utilization.
3. RORBET – School 3
lesson topic was on “Intrusive igneous landforms”. Only one lesson was observed.
Description of method of teaching including pupil activities

The lesson was textbook-based. Some parts of the textbook had been photocopied and given
to the pupils to paste into their notebooks. This was a task which the pupils would do later
during the lesson. The pupils were instructed to copy the word check or glossary of new
terms from the textbook into their notebooks. While this was happening, some pupils were
asked to volunteer to go and illustrate the new terms with the help of diagrams on blackboard.
Pupils were later asked to work in pairs the task on landforms which they had been given
earlier. Some pupils did not follow the instructions; they continued sitting individually.
Because some of the pupils had no access books, their participation was limited.
Inclusion of EE/ESD
The lesson did not incorporate EE / ESD.
4. VENA – School 4
a. First lesson
lesson topic was on “Interpretation of a satellite image”.
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This was a learner-centred lesson in which the pupils worked on an Activity in their
textbooks in groups of four or five. The activity was based on the interpretation of a satellite
image. The pupils assisted each other through discussions in their groups but they wrote the
answers individually. The teacher then provided them with answers and then asked them to
mark and then correct the wrong answers. She moved around the classroom during the lesson
and assisted the pupils who were experiencing difficulties.
Inclusion of EE/ESD
EE/ESD was not incorporated into the lesson.
b. Second lesson
lesson topic was on “Development”.
Description of method of teaching and pupil activities

The teacher told the learners at the beginning of the lessons that they would write notes. She
then wrote notes on the backboard quietly and the pupils copied them. They copied notes on a
lesson that had been taught on the previous day. During the lesson the teacher was moving
around and checking the learners’ progress in writing the notes. She was also helping them to
read the notes in cases where they could not see her writing.
The study could have been more contextualized. The notes covered development patterns in
the North and South without identifying the countries.
The classroom is bare. It has no charts and other learning resources on the walls.
Inclusion of EE/ESD
EE/ESD was not incorporated into the lesson on Development.
5. THOMAS – School 5
a. First Lesson
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lesson topic was on “The role of globalization in development / Gender and
development”.

The first part of the lesson focused on the definition of Globalization as well as its advantages
and disadvantages. The teacher tried to involve the pupils in the discussions by posing
questions but less than 5 out of 43 pupils participated in the discussions. The discussions
were limited to a few pupils sitting in the front row. It appeared as if the teacher did not
encourage the rest of the pupils to participate. Most pupils are disadvantaged because they are
not proficient in the English language which is used as medium of instruction. English is a
second language.
The second part of the lesson focused on Gender issues and development. The teacher
covered the section briefly. Although the lesson addressed an issue in which the pupils could
have actively participated, the teacher wrote information on the topic on the board and did not
create opportunities for the pupils to participate. The pupils were not given a chance to
explore the issue. The lesson was teacher-centred. The teacher used a transmissive teaching
style because he talked far more than the pupils. The pupils sat individually and not in
groups.
The classroom is bare. It has no charts on the walls or any other teaching and learning
resources other than the pupils’ textbooks. All the pupils have textbooks but these were not
used during the lesson.
Inclusion of EE/ESD
The teacher briefly incorporated EE/ESD by mentioning that one of the disadvantages of
globalisation is the negative impact on the environment but this was not clarified adequately.
He touched on global warming and the measures to tackle climate change such as the Kyoto
protocol but the explanation was not clear. The lesson is not likely to promote the
development of critical thinking skills because no opportunities were provided for the pupils
to reflect on issues and to consider attitudes and values of not only the decision-makers but
also their own.
299
b. Second lesson
lesson topic was on “The role of globalization in development / Gender and
development”.

The pupils spent the whole lesson copying notes from the blackboard on “The role of
globalization in development / Gender and development”. The topics had been covered
during the previous lesson.
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APPENDIX B:7 ILLUSTRATION OF DATA ANALYSIS (THEMATIC ANALYSIS)
CODE IDENTITY SOURCE CATEGORY THEME
Is there evidence of learner-centred approaches to teaching in the lesson plan?
Assignments / learner-centred approach HoD-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity

e.g Assignments on Chapman’s peak Tr-Sch1 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Claims success with learner-centred approach Tr-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Completion of some assignments in class Tr-Sch1 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Could be other way round in a learner-centred approach HoD-Sch3 Interview
Defn – learner-centred approach Tr-Sch5 Interview
Defn – teacher-centred approach Tr-Sch5 Interview
Discovery method Tr-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Discussion method HoD-Sch1 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Discussions Tr-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
DoE demands force teachers to use teacher-centred HoD-Sch5 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
DoE pace setters forcing use of teacher-centred HoD-Sch5 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
e.g.s of assignments Tr-Sch4 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Educator as facilator Tr-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Elaboration of teacher-centred approach Tr-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Opportunity
Groupwork HoD-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Has stuck to traditional methods HoD-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Lack of clarity on learner-centred approach Tr-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Opportunity
Learner participation & teacher as facilitator HoD-Sch3 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Learner-centred approach as learner-driven HoD-Sch5 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Learner-centred approach dominant Tr-Sch5 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Teacher talks more due to learner's problems with Tr-Sch5 Verification Challenge Challenge
Learner-centred approach is dominant HoD-Sch1 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Learner-centred approach is interactive Tr-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Learner-centred approach when there is opportunity HoD-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Learners bringing knowledge in Learner-centred HoD-Sch3 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Learners taking a major role in their education Tr-Sch4 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Long service – trained in old methods Tr-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Mixed methods for scaffolding Tr-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
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How does the teacher use the following approach to to encourage active learning: groupwork?
Appears to use groupwork regularly Sh-Sch4 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Assessment of groupwork problematic Tr-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Benefits of groupwork Sh-Sch4 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Classroom arrangement is conducive to groupwork Tr-Sch1 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Classroom arrangement is conducive to groupwork Sh-Sch4 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Classroom arrangement is conducive to groupwork Sh-Sch4 Verification Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Classroom arrangement is conducive to groupwork HoD-Sch3 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Classroom arrangement is not conducive to groupwork HoD-Sch5 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Classroom arrangement is not conducive to groupwork Tr-Sch2 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Desks rearranged when the need arises HoD-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Difficulties with groupwork HoD-Sch5 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Disadvantage of GW – only one or two learners HoD-Sch1 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Disadvantage of GW – only one or two learners Tr-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Frequency of groupwork -one or two / week / fortnight Tr-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Frequency of groupwork use – 1 / week Tr-Sch4 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Groupwork difficult HoD-Sch1 Interview Challenge Challenge
Groupwork Noisy Tr-Sch1 Interview Challenge Challenge
Groupwork Noisy HoD-Sch1 Interview Challenge Challenge
Groupwork sometimes used HoD-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical Opportunity
Overcrowded classes - but enough furniture Sh-Sch4 Verification Inadequate resources Challenge
Large classes HoD-Sch1 Interview Inadequate resources Challenge
Large classes Tr-Sch1 Interview Inadequate resources Challenge
Less groupwork now Tr-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Little group work HoD-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Low frequency of groupwork – 1 or 2 / term HoD-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
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303
How does the teacher use the following approach to to encourage active learning: role play?
No role play due to teacher preference HoD-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
No role play Sh-Sch4 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
No role play – large classes and discipline problems Tr-Sch5 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
No role play – not familiar with method Tr-Sch4 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
No role play - more comfortable with traditional methodsHoD-Sch5 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Rarely used Tr-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Uses role play Tr-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Could not explain how he uses role play Tr-Sch2 Verification Lack of awareness of EE teaching strategies
Uses role play Tr-Sch3 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
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How does the teacher use the following approach to to encourage active learning: learners doing research, collecting data, and repor
DoE guidelines on projects HoD-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
DoE guidelines on projects HoD-Sch2 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
DoE guidelines on projects Tr-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
DoE guidelines on projects Tr-Sch4 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
DoE guidelines on projects – 1 / year / grade HoD-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
DoE guidelines on projects Pace setters Tr-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
e.g fieldwork – pollution survey HoD-Sch5 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
e.g fieldwork as project HoD-Sch5 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Enquiry learning = assessment tasks HoD-Sch5 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Enquiry learning = collection of factual knowledge – HoD-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Enquiry learning = projects Tr-Sch4 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Enquiry learning = projects HoD-Sch5 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Enquiry learning = projects HoD-Sch5 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Enquiry learning = projects and field trips HoD-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Enquiry learning = research assignments / projects Tr-Sch1 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Enquiry learning = research projects HoD-Sch3 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Enquiry learning = textbook-based projects HoD-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Enquiry learning is a requirement in the curriculum HoD-Sch3 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Enquiry learning is time consuming Tr-Sch2 Interview School organization Challenge
Geo excursions not the same as field work Tr-Sch2 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Issue-based assignments HoD-Sch1 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Not clear of meaning of enquiry learning HoD-Sch5 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
One project / grade / term Is this above minimum Sh-Sch4 Interview
Problem of dishonesty and cheating in projects HoD-Sch5 Interview Challenge Challenge
Projects an assessment tool – learners given marking rubHoD-Sch1 Interview Challenge Challenge
Projects mainly based on books and newspapers Tr-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Projects mainly based on research from books Tr-Sch4 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Projects on environmental problems Tr-Sch4 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Stipulated in assessment programme Sh-Sch4 Interview
Teaching to finish syllabus Tr-Sch2 Interview School organization Challenge
eg of how fieldwork can be used Tr-Sch2 Verification Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Opportunity to engage in fieldwork not used Tr-Sch3 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Check role of DoE above
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Follow up interview on enquiry learning: What is your understanding of the enquiry approach?
CODE IDENTITY SOURCE CATEGORY THEMES
Lack of clarity on meaning of enquiry approach HoD-Sch1 Verification Challenge Challenge
Enquiry approach = Pps asking questions in class and get HoD-Sch1 Verification Challenge Challenge
Does not use enquiry approach HoD-Sch1 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Lack of clarity on meaning of enquiry approach HoD-Sch2 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Acknowledges the importance of enquiry approach in tea HoD-Sch2 Verification Opportunity Opportunity
Enquiry learning is for gifted learners HoD-Sch2 Verification Challenge Challenge
Enquiry approach and time constraints HoD-Sch2 Verification School organization Challenge
Idea of key questions in the lesson plan Tr-Sch2 Verification Opportunity Opportunity
Key question promotes critical thinking Tr-Sch2 Verification Opportunity Opportunity
Key question clarifies content Tr-Sch2 Verification Opportunity Opportunity
Views on enquiry learning Tr-Sch2 Verification Challenge Challenge
Lack of clarity on meaning of enquiry approach Tr-Sch2 Verification Challenge Challenge
Enquiry approach and time constraints Tr-Sch2 Verification School organization Challenge
Teaching for exams Tr-Sch2 Verification School organization Challenge
Teaching to finish syllabus for exams Tr-Sch2 Verification School organization Challenge
Lack of clarity on meaning of enquiry approach HoD-Sch3 Verification Challenge Challenge
Enquiry learning = questions followed by discussions HoD-Sch3 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Less use of enquiry learning at FET HoD-Sch3 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Lack of awareness of enquiry approach Tr-Sch3 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Lack of awareness of enquiry approach Sh-Sch4 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Claims to be aware of enquiry learning Tr-Sch4 Verification Opportunity Opportunity
Enquiry learning = questions followed by discussions Tr-Sch4 Verification Challenge Challenge
Claims to use the enquiry learning Tr-Sch4 Verification Opportunity Opportunity
Illustrations of enquiry approach Tr-Sch4 Verification Challenge Challenge
Enquiry learning = research projects HoD-Sch5 Verification Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Illustrations of enquiry approach HoD-Sch5 Verification Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Enquiry learning is optional HoD-Sch5 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Strategy viewed from perspective of assessment HoD-Sch5 Verification Challenge Challenge
Implication that enquiry aproach is time-consuming HoD-Sch5 Verification School organization Challenge
Option of open-book in place of enquiry approach is likelHoD-Sch5 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Enquiry could be the geography questions Tr-Sch5 Verification Opportunity Opportunity
Lack of awareness of enquiry approach Tr-Sch5 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
DoE guidelines limiting use of enquiry approach Sh-Sch4 Verification Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
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307
How does the teacher use the following approach to to encourage active learning: discussions and debates?
Class discussions are frequent Tr-Sch4 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Class Discussions used Tr-Sch5 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Debate on global warming HoD-Sch1 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Debates are infrequent HoD-Sch5 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Debates are rarely used Tr-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Discussion of local issues HoD-Sch1 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Discussion of topical issues HoD-Sch1 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Discussions based on learners’ personal experience HoD-Sch5 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Discussions used regularly Tr-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Discussions used regularly but no debates HoD-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Few class discussions HoD-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Class discussions Frequency of use – 1 / week Tr-Sch4 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Frequent discussions HoD-Sch1 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Good participation in class discussions Sh-Sch4 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Ignorance reducing frequency of discussions Tr-Sch3 Interview Challenge
Infrequent debates HoD-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Learners do not read Tr-Sch3 Interview Challenge Challenge
Need to finish syllabus limits the methods used. Tr-Sch5 Interview School organization Challenge
No debates Sh-Sch4 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
No debates Tr-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
No debates on env. issues this year HoD-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
No formal debate Tr-Sch5 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
One debate HoD-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Poor language skills Poor participation Tr-Sch3 Interview Challenge Challenge
Poor participation in class discussions Tr-Sch3 Interview Challenge Challenge
Sometimes uses debates Tr-Sch4 Verification Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
One debate / once / week Tr-Sch4 Verification Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
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How does the teacher use the following approach to encourage active learning: fieldwork?
Fieldwork 1 / yr – infrequent HoD-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Planning excursion to nature reserve HoD-Sch1 Verification Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Arbor day celebrated with outdoor lesson Tr-Sch3 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Concern with contact hours in considering fieldwk HoD-Sch3 Interview School organization Challenge
Disruption of school routine HoD-Sch3 Interview School organization Challenge
DoE directive on fieldwork Tr-Sch1 Verify this Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
DoE guidelines – 1 field trip / class / year – field work isHoD-Sch2 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
DoE guidelines -Fieldwork optional HoD-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
DoE guidelines on fieldwk HoD-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
DoE guidelines on fieldwk HoD-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
e.g of field work Tr-Sch3 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
E.g. mixed group taken for excursion at FET Sh-Sch4 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
E.g. of field trip but aims and objectives not clear Tr-Sch4 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Example of school ground – studying ecosystem Tr-Sch3 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Fieldwork = Excursions Sh-Sch4 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Field excursions at FET HoD-Sch2 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Field trips every year for a specific grade Tr-Sch3 Interview Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Field work = excursions HoD-Sch5 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Field work hardly used Tr-Sch4 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Field work is costly HoD-Sch5 Interview Inadequate resources Challenge
Fieldwork = excursions HoD-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Fieldwork = excursions Tr-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Fieldwork = long excursions Tr-Sch3 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Fieldwork must not reduce contact time Tr-Sch1 Interview School organization Challenge
Fieldwork = excursion Tr-Sch4 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Fieldwork stopped two years ago Tr-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Fieldwork used as both assessment and teaching method HoD-Sch1 Interview
Fieldwork used to be done in the past Tr-Sch1 Interview Lack of awareness of EE Challenge
Fieldwork with GET around school HoD-Sch2 Verification Enabling pedagogical apprOpportunity
Financial constraints for field work HoD-Sch1 Interview Inadequate resources Challenge
Financial constraints for field work HoD-Sch3 Interview Inadequate resources Challenge
Financial constraints for field work Tr-Sch3 Interview Inadequate resources Challenge
Financial constraints for field work Sh-Sch4 Interview Inadequate resources Challenge
309
APPENDIX C:1 PACE SETTER
WESTERN CAPE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
DIRECTORATE: CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
FET NCS
PACE SETTER FOR GRADE 11
2008
SUBJECT: GEOGRAPHY
310
PACE SETTER FOR GEOGRAPHY: GRADE 11

TERM 1
(11 weeks)
Learning Outcome and Content Assessment Week Completed
Assessment Standard
11.1. A. Geographical skills and techniques Daily: 1-3
 Using atlases: to familiarise and empower learners to use
• Pre-knowledge from
atlases on various themes as a rich source of
Grade 10 Map work
spatially and non-spatially referenced data and
• Map work
information.
assignment from
 Map use and map skills: includes reading and analysis of
topographic and
maps, orthophoto maps, aerial photographs and
orthophoto maps
graphic data; executing different techniques, for example:
 consolidation and more advanced application of map skills
and techniques done in Grade 10 on
 topographical maps, aerial photos and orthophoto maps;
 reading, analysis and interpretation of 1:50 000
topographical maps and orthophotos, integrating
concepts done in content section.
311
11.1. B. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WATER MASSES Daily 4 -5
11.2 Context: Africa and the World Data handling
11.3  The hydrological cycle. Assignment:
 Water masses of Africa: oceans, permanent ice, lakes, E.g.
swamps, etc. • Discuss set of
 Climate change: effects of El Niño and La Niña in Africa. criteria for
 Hazards (flooding and drought) and the response of humans. assignment
 Oceans as a major source of moisture and oxygen for the
atmosphere, protein food and energy supply.
 Coastal environments: natural forces – erosion, deposition.
 Hazards and environmental management of hydrological
systems (e.g. rivers, coastal resource management).
As needed to start with Data handling Assignment
11.1. B. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WATER MASSES Hand in stage 1 of Data 6-7
handling Assignment
11.2  Role of oceans: climate control, world trade and as a
11.3 source of food.
 Impact of humans on oceans (e.g. pollution, over-
exploitation).
11.1. B. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WATER MASSES PoA : Completion of Data 8
 Forms of exploitation and its impact on sustainable living handling Assignment
11.2
(e.g. commercial and subsistence fishing, mining,
11.3 dumping of waste).
11.1. PoA: March Tests 9 – 10

Based on Significance of
11.2 Water Masses
11.3
312
TERM 2
(11 weeks)
Assessment Standard
11.1. ECOSYSTEMS (biotic and abiotic components) Daily 1
11.2 Context: Africa and the World • Worksheets
11.3  Concepts (e.g. biosphere, ecosystem, biome, food webs
and
chains).
 Ecological processes (e.g. energy flow, nutrient cycling,
self
regulation).
 Soil processes, soil profile and soil forming factors.
11.1. ECOSYSTEMS (biotic and abiotic components) PoA 2-3

Context: Africa and the World • Research of the impact
11.2
 Human impact on ecosystems and the consequences. of humans on
11.3  Vegetation regions in Africa: ecosystems and its
o distribution; consequences in the
o comparing different biomes; Western Cape
o human impact on different biomes. • Case studies
 Environmental relationships (influence of climate, soil,
topography, veld fires on biomes).
11.1. D. DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY Daily 4-6

11.2 Context: Africa and the World • Worksheets
11.3
• Concepts of ‘development’ and ‘sustainability’ at global and
national scales.
• Indicators of development (social or economic) and
sustainability.
• Models and theories of development over time.
• Rural and urban development: successes and failures.
• The unevenness of development globally (North/South
divide).
313
11.1. DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY: PoA : Research on 7-8
11.2 • Contrasting developed and developing countries in terms of changing patterns of
11.3 indicators. agriculture, industry,
• Role of agriculture, industry, aid, globalisation in transport and trade and
development the influence on
using case studies. economy in different
• Gender issues related to development.
provinces of South Africa
Research Task
• Changing patterns of agriculture, industry, transport, trade
and Hand in stage 1
settlement.
• Strategies by people, organisations and nations to address
development problems.
• Application of development strategies in local context.
Revision 9
11.1. PoA: Mid-year 10 - 11

examination
11.2
11.3
314
TERM 3
(10 weeks)
Assessment Standard
11.1 GEOGRAPHICAL SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES: Daily 1- 5
 Map projections: Mercator. • Practical work on
11.2
computer
 Fieldwork: using local maps/photos; recording
11.3 • Class discussion
geographical information in the local area. • Assignments
 Functional elements of a GIS including:
o data acquisition;
o satellite remote sensing as a digital data source;
o preprocessing;
o data processing.
11.1 E. PEOPLE AND THEIR NEEDS Daily 6

CONTEXT: AFRICA
11.2 • Concept
11.3 • Resource use and management:
maps/spider
o resources and their uses;
o distribution and utilisation of renewable and diagrams
non-renewable natural resources;
o concepts of ‘resources exploitation’, ‘resource
depletion’, ‘resource preservation’, ‘resource
conservation’
315
11.1 E. PEOPLE AND THEIR NEEDS Daily 7- 8
CONTEXT: AFRICA
11.2 • Worksheets
• Extraction of raw materials, the conflicts and
11.3 • Project
opportunities that are created;
o land use conflicts in national parks; Creative
o the impact of values and attitudes of people Response:
affected. E.g. Discuss set of
• Energy use and management: criteria for
o increasing demand for energy; assignment
o relative and changing importance of fossil fuels,
nuclear power and alternative energy sources;

11.2 CONTEXT: AFRICA • Class discussion
The environmental costs of energy provision; • Assignments
11.3
• causes and effects of energy production related to
pollution; Creative Research
• causes and consequences of acid rain and the Project:
Hand in stage 1
importance of international co-operation;
environmental effects of resource and energy
consumption on world temperatures;

11.2 CONTEXT: AFRICA • Class discussion
The environmental costs of energy provision; • Assignments
11.3
• sustainable energy principles and approaches –
consider new forms of energy and approaches to
energy conservation.
PoA: Test 11
Final Hand in Creative
Response
316
TERM 4
(9 weeks)
Learning Outcome and Content & Context Assessment Week Completed

Assessment Standard
11.1. Revision: Revision 1 - 4
11.2 Theory
11.3 Map work
11.1 GRADE 11 EXAMINATIONS PoA: Final 5 -10

11.2 examination
11.3
.
317
APPENDIX C:2 GRADE 12: WORK SCHEDULE 2008
TERM ONE: 16 January - 30 March

MODULES: Geographical Skills and Techniques/ Climate and Weather/ People and Their Needs
LO 1 LO 2 LO 3
INTEGRATION
REFLECTION
ASSESSMENT STANDARDS
WEEKS
LTSM
ASSESSMENT
KNOWLEDGE FOCI
ACTVITIES
12.1.1
12.1.2
12.1.3
12.1.4
12.1.5
12.2.1
12.2.2
12.2.3
12.2.4
12.3.1
12.3.2
1 Map use and Skills Baseline ass. Maps/Atlas/Photos/ Q&A/
Map Projections Worksheet √ √ √ √ √ Class interaction/ Pre
know.
2 Map use and skills Map work games Maps/Atlas/Photos/Orthoph CAT
Map projections Cass: √ √ √ √ √ / Q&A/ PP Slide show/ IT
Atlas Interpretation # Map work assignment Class interaction/ Map trix
3 Global Air Circulation and Worksheets Animations/ Diagrams/ Review: PS
Weather patterns. Class Test √ √ √ √ √ √ Maps/IKS Assign
Changes in Energy balance m.
4 Pressure Patterns and Air Flow Discussion Synoptic Charts/ Weather PS
Mid-Latitude cyclones Presentations √ √ √ √ √ reports and Satellite
images
5 Tropical Cyclones Debates Synoptic Charts/ Weather CAT
Anticyclonic Circulation Cass: reports and Satellite IT
Climate Hazards # Control Test 1 images
# Present Case Study: √ √ √ √ √ √ Diagrams/ Picture/ Photos/
TPC's 2005-2006 Class interaction/ Internet
tracking of TPC/
Animations
6 Local Climates: Urban and Mind mapping PP Slide Review:
Valleys Worksheets show/Observation/ C- Test
Climatic Regions: Global and Cass: Newspaper clippings/
Regional # Data handling √ √ √ √ √ √ Diagrams/ Picture/ Photos/
Class interaction/ Thematic
maps/ Animations
7 Economic Sectors and influence Worksheets √ √ √ √ Graphs/ Statistics/ Atlas/ ML,
318
GDP/Employment etc. Indicators/ News/ Tables/ E

8 Influence of other factors on Discussions / Interviews News/ Maps/ Internet E
peoples needs e.g. social Case Study √ √ √ √ √ √ √ CS
9 Role and Perc. of decision- Discussions News/ Maps/ Internet/
makers on economic activities Debates √ √ √ √ √ Speeches
10 Impact of humans on location of Role plays News/ Maps/ Internet/ Revisio TO
eco. Activities& impact of location Debates Speeches/ Diagrams n CS
change of eco. Activities on Cass: √ √ √ √ √
humans # Control Test 2
11 Response of people to injustice Discussion / Debates News/ Maps/ Internet/ Revisio
Cass: # Investigation √ √ √ √ √ √ Speeches n
SCHOOL CONTEXTS : Athletics - Internal/Triangular = 2 school days// Public holidays 20/21 March = 2 days//

Implementing Education For Sustainable Development

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Implementing Education For Sustainable Development

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IMPLEMENTING EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

THE ROLE OF GEOGRAPHY IN SOUTH AFRICAN SECONDARY

Dissertation presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Curriculum Studies) at

Promoter: Prof Chris Reddy

Date: December 2012

Copyright © 2012 Stellenbosch University

All rights reserved

Environmental education, education for sustainable development, sustainable development,

Beter omgewingsopvoeding-onderrig en -leer van volhoubare ontwikkeling (OO/OVO) in skole is een

‘n Kwalitatiewe gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp, ondersteun deur die interpretatiewe

Verder ondervind die onderwyserdeelnemers probleme om leerderaktiwiteite te onderskei van die

Omgewingsopvoeding; opvoeding vir volhoubare ontwikkeling; volhoubare ontwikkeling; geografie-

CHAPTER 2 A FOCUS ON THE VEHICLE FOR ESD: GEOGRAPHY 19

2.7 Curriculum change in post-apartheid South Africa 63

4.2.2 Features of qualitative research 114

5.1.2.8 Vena 146

6.3.1 Opportunities for learner-centred approaches 207

2.1 Teaching-learning continuum 52

TABLES AND BOXES

2.1 Some definitions of geography 20

AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

1.1.1 Environmental Education

that effectively educates man regarding his relationship to the total

1.1.2 Sustainable development

The conceptualization of sustainable development in the 1980s was accompanied by a parallel

1.1.3 Education for Sustainable Development

1.1.4 The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

 interdisciplinary and holistic learning rather than subject-based learning;

 multi-method approaches: word, art, drama, debate, etc;

 facilitating networking, and collaboration among stakeholders in ESD;

1.1.5 Is EE the same as ESD or are they different?

Furthermore, Gough (2006a: 2) argues that environmental education focuses on resolving

In particular we are currently in the throes of a situation in which the environment-related

1.2 CONCEPTUAL CONTEXT

1.2.1 Research on geography education

1.2.2 Perspectives on curriculum innovation and implementation

According to Carless (1998), research on processes of curriculum implementation aims to provide

 characteristics of the innovation;

1.3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM

1.4 RESEARCH DESIGN

1. The purpose of the research;

1.5 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.5.3 Secondary school

1.6 DISSERTATION OUTLINE

CHAPTER 2: A FOCUS ON THE VEHICLE FOR ESD: GEOGRAPHY

2.1 TOWARDS A DEFINITION OF GEOGRAPHY

Table 2.1 Some definitions of geography

Source: Barnard (2001: 7)

According to the International Geographical Union - Commission on Geographical Education (IGU-

Robinson (1976) commends Pattison’s (1964) contribution towards establishing a definition of

2.2 SCHOOLS OF GEOGRAPHICAL THOUGHT

2.2.1 Early views on human-environment relationships

Table 2.2 Main schools of geographic environmentalism

Human ecology Envisages reciprocal reactions between human and

Scientific determinism A variant of physical determinism in which the argument proceeds

Soource: Haggett (2001: 353)

2.2.3 Logical positivism in geography

2.2.4 Behavioural geography

2.2.5 Humanistic geography

(He) identifies three building blocks of humanistic geography as anthropocentrism (the

2.2.6 Radical geography, Marxism and structuralism

2.2.7 Critical geography